Why You Should Start A Yoga Practice Now

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You’re having one of those days — 
You’ve spilt your morning coffee; you’re wearing white.
You tripped over the cat on the way out the door. You’re late.
That report you thought was done and dusted. Your boss just emailed you — “More revisions.”
You were looking forward to seeing that friend tonight. They just cancelled.

These are the moments in the life when you need yoga. Because everyone needs an almost-stranger in their life to remind them of their potential, to remind them to keep chugging along and to give you the permission that you need to look inward for an hour, maybe once, maybe twice, maybe three times a week and to address ‘what the hell is going on, on the inside.’

“Have the wisdom and grace to discern what is real and what is not…”

My yogi says as we’re coming through our Chaturanga. Moving into Warrior II, my quads are on fire and I am regretting waking up for a 9am yoga class on a Sunday and then those words of wisdom float through the air and all of a sudden, everything seems like it’s going to be alright.

Yoga is so much more than an hour of stretching and almost contorting your body into unimaginable positions. It’s more than that little giggle you suppress every single time someone tells you to go into ‘downward dog.’

Yoga is about hearing from someone who looks after their body mentally and physically reminding you that in that hectic week you’re having, you’ve had, or you’re about to have, that it is 100% necessary to take the time out to make choices that are right for you.

Because life moves too fast and more often than not we spend our time playing catch up with life when life should be catching up with us.

And that is when you need yoga in your life, because yoga is for everyone. It’s for the person who hasn’t exercised in 20 years (my own mother who now loves yoga) and it’s for the person who lifts five times a week. It’s for the laid-back, tree-sitting book lover and it’s for the highly-strung 20-meetings a day executive. It looks after your body physically by giving it the best stretch it’s had in a long time. It looks after your body mentally because as you move from Warrior II into high plank, you’re reminded that that strength in your body is likened to your ability and strength to reach your full potential.

It’s one of the only forms of exercise that reminds you, in a critical world: Namaste. Where the divine in me recognizes and honors the divine in you.

It’s the place where you’ll be reminded to stop judging yourself by the people you’re surrounded by, to honor and encourage the people in your life — both friends and strangers. To work within your strengths and set your intentions for your practice in a way that honors you. It’s also the place where Shavasana, the final pose of lying down with your eyes closed, is enforced.

Whether it’s Hatha, whether it’s Vinyasa, whether it’s some form of power yoga in a hot, hot room, do yourself a favor and get some yoga in your life. Because sometimes, your mum telling you you’re great won’t cut it because she’s supposed to love you. But having a yogi tell you as you inhale deep breaths through your downward dog that your ability to move into that position is likened to the courage you possess within…

That is exactly what you need when you’re having one of those days; you’ve spilt your morning coffee; you tripped over the cat on the way out the door; your boss just emailed you: “More revisions”; your friend just cancelled.

Sometimes what you need at the end of the day, or even at the beginning, is to be reminded that “life is like playing tennis against a wall, the ball is always in your court. The choice to pick up the racquet is yours.”

…and sometimes, you need to be forced to take a nap.

featured image – Shutterstock