Have you often thought about practicing yoga? Or wondered what the real benefit’s are? Or perhaps you have listened to a friend talking about how great they feel after practicing yoga. I thought it was about time that I blog about some of the benefits of yoga & why people do yoga, also to share my own experiences as a teacher & student of yoga.

Quite often I hear people say to me (who do not practice yoga) “I have always wanted to practice yoga” So why don’t they? I know there are many reasons for this, it can be as simple as a fear of trying something new, thinking I am not flexible enough, finding it hard to make time for a yoga practice, I have even heard the reason of “yoga, it’s for woman only” So if you are thinking about practicing yoga & for whatever your reason/s are for not, stop thinking about it! Try a few yoga classes, start where you’re at, find the best teacher or studio for you, keep an open mind & take it step by step. The short & long-term benefits of a regular yoga practice are amazing!!

A lot of people see yoga as just a physical practice, it all depends on why you do yoga in the first place, there are lots of benefits to gain from the physical side of yoga, however I realized very soon into my yoga journey that yoga was much more then strength or stretching.  I have been asked a few times, how does stretching effect the mind? The answer is, through the breath; the breath is the link between the mind & body, the long-term effects of conscious breathing along with linking movement has powerful effects on the mind & body. Yoga can be quite a personal journey and it is different for each individual, however, for most part the benefits are the same. There are many levels that a regular yoga practice can affect us on, physical, emotional, spiritual & mental. Yoga changes the way we see the world & ourselves.

Effects Yoga has on the mind:

On a mental level yoga takes us away from the mundane survival level, the day-to-day experiences & responsibilities.  Yoga allows us to connect with our true self & to experience ourselves on a deeper level, most of all; yoga gives us the “me” time that we all need regularly to stay healthy.  Yoga lets us direct our focus inwards, take time out & check in with how we are doing, without the external influences around us. Over a period of time we are able to see others & ourselves clearer, which makes for better decision-making. We begin to see our actions & how they affect the people around us. Another fascinating aspect of yoga is that we become the observer of ourselves including our thoughts. Imagine being able to take a step back & observe yourself from an outside perspective, yoga does this! I have experienced this many times. After some study of the yoga sutra’s I realized that all this is part of the yoga journey, which amazed me!  Yoga enabled me to correct any bad behaviour & habits about myself, I did find this a little confronting at first, but then I realized that unless I see all my patterns clearly, how can I ever change or correct myself to become the person I want to be.

There are characteristics from our parents, how we are raised & experiences that remain with us through life, however, if we truly want to change, have a better life, we can, it just takes the want & the desire. Be prepared to take a good look at yourself & to put in the effort required to change, which won’t happen over night.  A happier life all starts from within ourselves, so if we spend time looking inwards, becoming more compassionate, we become happier people, lets face it, happier people tend to be more active in the community, spread the joy. Yoga gives us this opportunity.

Yoga allows us to perceive things correctly, there are aspects of our mind/personality that can make us perceive things incorrectly, our judgement is clouded, this is called avidya, there are branches of avidya, these are Asmita (ego), Raga (attachment), Dvesa (refusal) and Abhinivesa (fear) these all effect how we perceive things & situations, yoga reduces these effects on us, which allows us to perceive things correctly and truly understand any situation, which gives us a better end result.

Other effects on the mind from a regular yoga practice:

Increased confidence

Contentment

Become less selfish

Less materialistic

More compassionate

Clearer thoughts

Become more focussed

Mind becomes a quieter

We become very aware of what is good for us & what is not

Our senses can be heightened

We become a lot calmer

Relieves Depression

Cure’s insomnia

Promotes inner peace

Your relationship with your self and other’s will improve. We become more aware of our moods/emotions & how we can control them. You will develop a feeling that everything is good or ok in life. You will love yourself more and those around you; you will become a more improved version of your self.

Effects Yoga has on a physical level:

On a physical level yoga maintains correct posture, yoga will decrease stress levels. Stress is a big issue these days, built up stress in the body can manifest it’s self in lots of different health concerns and is something to always keep an eye on, stress is on the rise with the lifestyles of today & not enough people do anything to balance the stress levels in the body. I am convinced that if you run on high stress levels & do nothing to control stress, you will develop major health concerns, body or mind related. Yoga is the perfect method for relieving stress, & has been for a long time, you will notice a difference in your stress levels in weeks, if not days.

Yoga will strengthen your bones and aid in the intake of vitamins into the body. Yoga will strengthen the immune system, calm the nervous system, and reduce the heart rate. Yoga will aid in digestion and other related health concerns. Yoga will keep you mobile longer, more active & keep muscles strong & flexible. Maintaining flexibility is one of the most important factors as we age, nothing else will maintain flexibility like yoga. Yoga will also help to detoxify the body & help to maintain the correct PH balance, your body will tone up and you will find it easier to maintain a healthy weight & diet, if your over weight, you may start to loose those extra kg’s.  Yoga will slow down the aging process, lower high blood pressure; increase the blood flow to the brain and aid with the flow of oxygen through the entire body. By practicing yoga regularly your entire quality of life will improve & you will most likely live longer. I have seen a lot of people’s life’s improve because of yoga. Yoga is not a quick fix, (quick fixes never work) yoga is a process, and if you stick with it & maintain it over a period of time you will notice the benefits.

These are just some of the benefits of regular yoga practice, I know there are more, all these benefits of yoga are known facts, I read about them and have seen the benefits of yoga many times, I even experienced a lot of these benefits myself. I have gone through the odd period were I stopped practicing yoga, I noticed within weeks that not only was my body feeling less mobile but my diet was becoming unhealthy, my state of mind less positive with increased stress and over- all lower quality of life.

For me practicing yoga is a no brainier, I get it and understand it. I personally do not understand why everyone does not do yoga. I feel that if everyone did yoga regularly, there would be far less conflict in the word, a lot happier & healthier people with less suffering. So the answer to, Why do yoga? Is, all these amazing benefits and a lot more.    Ohm shanti  (peace)

Being a Yoga teacher to me means different things on many levels. I am very grateful to be able to share the special gift of Yoga with others. Teaching Yoga means making a positive impact on the daily life of my students.

If I am able to be part of one person having a better day, feeling great about them self or maybe getting through life just that little easier, then I feel I am doing my bit to do some good for this world, being able to make a difference in people’s lives no mater how big or small is a wonderful feeling. Teaching Yoga feels like it is one of the things in life I am meant to do, it never feels like a Job. I consider my self very blessed to be given/found such a great way of life.

Not long after a started practicing Yoga I realized a couple of interesting facts. I soon realized how Yoga effects people’s minds, more so my own mind, with regular practice I soon found this inner peace, contentment, far less judgment, not materialistic, like I felt I used to be, and the big one being, a more balanced life and sense of self. I have often thought to myself, if only everyone did some form of yoga regularly, we would not nearly have the wars and the suffering that we see all around us from day to day. What a beautiful world it would be to live in! I guess the biggest thing for me is, that by teaching Yoga I am able to give people the opportunity to bring conscious thought/awareness to the way they live their life, how they interact with others and the world around them. Non-violence (Ahimsa, the Yama of non-violence) towards our selves, others and nature.

I consider it an honor to be able to offer the vast teachings of yoga and the many tools yoga has to offer. I know that I am part of something that is pretty special. I know that by continuing on this incredible journey I will always continue to grow. For me the journey of Yoga will never end, every day I learn something new about Yoga and myself.  With a big desirer to learn as much as I can. I truly belive that knowledge is freedom, Ignorance is not bliss. Teaching Yoga gives me the courage to try knew things in life, to face my fear’s (abhinivesah) to open my heart, love everyone around me, not always be thinking of my self, to be the best person I can be. I know that if I start to go off track, Yoga will always bring me back. Through teaching Yoga I am able to play a role in creating some calmness in what seams to be a world where most people are just to busy, always trying to juggle their commitments and responsibilities, taking on more then they need to, always hungry for instant results, “success’ forgetting to enjoy life or just be happy with what they have. People tend not to take enough time out to do something good for them selves. Yoga allows my students to just slow down a little, take stock and look after their health. It is fact that stress is now one of the leading causes of physical and mental health issues; Yoga can offer so many tools to help with stress and a better quality of life. There is nothing more rewarding to me then seeing the positive effects Yoga as on my students. Practicing Yoga is not a quick fix (I have always been one to question quick fixes) it takes time and patience, however the effects a so worth the wait.

Teaching yoga enables me to work/meet with such diverse, sweet caring people of all ages and backgrounds. Yoga brings people together, celebrating people’s differences, personalities, creating a sense of community and non judgment (Asteya) Om shantih.