Yoga makes changes on all levels: it calms the thoughts and creates space in the body.
Yoga is more than a practice on the mat. Beyond the mat, yoga brings us more awareness and awakening. It calms the mind and creates space in the body. It brings you another pair of eyes to see, another pair of ears to hear and wise words to speak.
And as you calm your mind, your intuition develops even more. Beyond the mat, yoga makes changes on all levels and below I will mention only a few that I consider the most important.
1. Yoga changes choices of any kind: from what we eat, to the thoughts we have, or to the lifestyle we adopt.
You get a better perspective on life, you are less anxious, your body feels better, you have more flexibility and you end up relating to you differently. You sleep and wake up better and focus more. Your mind, your body, and your environment align.
People who practice yoga are more likely to make positive lifestyle choices, especially when it comes to diet. I found that they are more likely to become vegetarians. We become more aware of where the food comes from, how, when and how much we eat.
2. Yoga brings you a state of calm and presence
Yoga brings a state of calm in all aspects of life. In addition to the asanas in which we work with the physical body, breathing, concentration bring even more awareness of the energy in the body.
Subtleties are born and we look more inward. When your mind is calm, you find your center and you feel more anchored.
Yoga is happening now, which means that the focus is on the present moment. We leave any worries of the past or concern for the future.
3. It helps us to see ourselves, the real ones, on the inside
Yoga teaches us that everything we need is inside us. It’s about what’s going on inside and not outside.
Surveys found that people who practiced yoga were more aware of their bodies than people who did not practice yoga. They were also more satisfied and less critical of their bodies. For these reasons, yoga has become an integral part of the treatment of eating disorders and programs that promote positive body image and self-esteem.
That’s why yoga studios usually don’t have mirrors. Thus, people can focus on inward awareness and not on what a posture or colleagues around them look like.
4. We “learn” to breathe
We go through life without being aware of how many breaths we take in a minute. Breathing is generally irregular: either very slow or short and fast. But by practicing Pranayama daily, we adjust our breathing rate and become more aware when a change occurs. Breathing is the barometer of the inner state and indicates whether we have difficulty releasing any tension or stress in the body.
Pranayama is like an asana for the lungs. We train them and thus greatly improve the capacity of the respiratory system. Pranayama also acts directly on the nervous system and will bring you a meditative state. Practice every day and pranayama will become your super strength.
5. We show more humility and compassion
Yoga constantly provokes the ego. I’m not talking about the kind of ego in which we take dozens of pictures of ourselves looking for a perfect look. It’s the subtler kind, the kind that humbles you every time you step on the mat and brings out any imbalance. In addition, it makes you accept yourself every time as you are, but especially to show compassion.
