3 Things I Like About Yoga

women doing yoga

While I briefly dabbled with trying yoga once many years ago, I actually dove into it for real a couple of weeks ago.

With all of the restrictions on when and why we’re permitted to leave our homes in Toronto these days due to the Covid-19 epidemic, this seemed like the perfect time to branch out and try something new.

Here are a few wonderful things that have stood out to me about this form of exercise as I’ve been acclimating to it. I’m keeping this post short and sweet because I’m still so new to yoga in general. Perhaps I’ll write longer posts about it in the future!

If any of you have been doing this form of exercise longterm, I’d sure love to hear your favourite things about it as well.

The Focus on Balance and Flexibility

Black silhouettes of various yoga posts against a white background. All of my other regular workout routines are heavily immersed in cardio and strength training exercises.

Yoga requires my body to bend and flex in ways that are quite different from dancing or lifting weights.

Instead of bracing myself to lift a heavy load or pivot to a new dance move, I’m learning how to better hold my balance with a tricky position and gently stretch just a little bit further every time.

The Attention Paid to Breathing Patterns

Dandelion seeds being blown away from a mature dandelion plant. Breathing isn’t something I consciously think about with other forms of exercise unless I’m out of breath for them.

Even then, the only aspect of it that crosses my mind is generally how many seconds or minutes are left until my body can slow down and catch up on some of the air it requires.

The incredible thing about yoga is how much your breath matter even though I’ve yet to become out of breath with any of the poses I’ve done so far.

I’ve actually started to pay closer attention to my breathing during times of the day when I’m not exercising as well as a result of these workouts.

It’s so interesting to see how these sessions are affecting me in that way. This wasn’t something I was expecting to happen at all.

The Reinforcement of Mindfulness

White clouds against a bright blue skyYoga is the slowest type exercise I’ve ever discovered. Everything about it encourages me to pay close attention to what I’m currently doing and think of nothing but holding my current pose.

There is something incredibly relaxing about turning away from all of the distractions of the world we currently live in and existing in a moment.

The fact that I can do that while also getting a good workout in only makes it better.

16 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Mindfulness and Meditation

16 Responses to 3 Things I Like About Yoga

  1. Mark

    Yes.Yoga is wonderful, and yet I hardly ever do it. Sigh.

  2. I’ve done yoga for flexibility and to ease back pain before, and I want to start that up again. The main issue I’ve noticed for myself during this crazy time is that as usual I’m carrying my tension in my shoulders… but there’s a lot more of it than normal. I’m hoping that yoga will help, both from the physical aspect and the calming, meditative aspect.

  3. Never done this. When I was in high school I tried to go into lotus position and couldn’t do it. Way to old to start now. Glad you’re into it.

  4. I love doing yoga! Besides mindfulness, I really enjoy feeling the stretches!

  5. I was actually thinking about trying some Youtube videos of yoga, but I was kind of scared of doing something wrong, I guess. Was it difficult coming back to it after a long time?

  6. I have never done Yoga before but the things you shared about breathing and existing in the current moment inspires me to know more about it.

    Will do google and give it a try someday

  7. I tried a 30 day yoga thing at the beginning of the year, but I didn’t make it through all 30 days. I liked some aspects, but didn’t love everything. Maybe I should try a different YouTube “teacher”…

  8. These are great points. I started doing yoga just over a year ago and have been doing a lot more since the pandemic started. Flexibility and mindfulness were the big draws for me. I like that it’s pretty accessible – you can do it in your home without any special equipment.

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