For the Love of Yoga (A look into my daily yoga practice)

A fun fact about me is that I’m avid about yoga! The first time I practiced yoga was around five years ago. It was during a time in my life where I considered myself to be at my “healthiest”. I used to workout at home three times a week using P90X videos where I was introduced to sun salutations.

A sun salutation is a series of poses performed in a certain sequence in accordance with your breathing. It’s also a means of expressing gratitude to the sun, build heat in the body and when practiced regularly can also:

Remove bodily and mental tensions
Improve circulation
Stimulate the nervous system
Calm the mind

At first I was a naysayer. I thought yoga couldn’t be considered a workout and that it was merely stretches. However when I’d practice it in P90x I realized just how challenging it could be. I was thrown into a set of positions using my body weight to balance causing my heart rate to increase all the while working up a sweat. All of this to say it changed my perception of yoga and I started practicing it regularly.

Shortly after my fitness stint, I retracted back into a sedentary lifestyle (like we all do!) and I thought about how good my body felt with regular yoga practice. I went on to find a 30 day yoga challenge on Youtube and committed to waking up earlier every morning just to complete the daily practices. Within two weeks I noticed improvements in my flexibility and strength. Beyond physical capabilities, I noticed better digestion, improved sleep, and clarity to start my days. Some of the benefits of yoga include:

Boosting immunity
Lowering blood pressure
Reduce stress
Helping you focus

So who wouldn’t want to continue it? It’s one thing to read that yoga can offer these benefits but it means so much more to have actually experienced it. Shortly after completing that challenge, I got busy… ok I went back to that sedentary lifestyle, and it’s led me back to those memories of a healthier me. SO again, I am practicing short yoga routines everyday, not because I’m doing a Youtube challenge, but because I want to work on becoming stronger and more grounded. I’ve also started to incorporate mindfulness during my practice. I try my best to maintain presence during workouts or gentle stretches by really engaging with my body and focusing on the flow of my breath. Ideally l want to make a habit out of these daily yoga stretches (it takes 21 days to instill a new habit) so that it’ll become second nature for me.

How I Practice

This pose is called “Downward Dog”. This pose is relaxing and it’s great for stretching out my shoulders and hamstrings.

“Warrior I” The warrior sequence I find can be challenging at times, but it helps improve my balance and focus on breathing.

I use beginner yoga Youtube videos to guide me along the practice. I’m picky when it comes to finding a virtual yoga instructor because they don’t always give clear guidance or alternative poses. Actually, a pet peeve of mine is when I’m in a yoga class, either online or in person, for all levels and the instructor doesn’t suggest modified poses. How can they expect me to bend like a pretzel??

Since virtual yoga instructors are hard to come by, when I do find one I’m loyal. I came across Sarah Beth Yoga and not only does she offer beginner yoga but she is in my opinion very easy to follow. She also offers a playlist with fifteen minute yoga routines for each day of the week.

Wednesday’s exercise is my favourite because it’s challenging and it’ll make you sweat. Having practiced with her videos for about a month now, I can really spot improvements already.