The Benefits of Yoga

No doubt about it – yoga studios are popping up everywhere! So is yoga a passing trend just like other fitness trends? The answer, quite simply, is no.

Yoga has staying power – over 2,000 years of it. The reason is clear for yogis who’ve been practicing for a while. But if you’ve never practiced yoga or have only tried a class or two and never actually connected with the practice, the answer may remain a mystery.

There are several reasons yoga has real staying power. First, it’s not just about fitness. One “limb” of yoga is called “asana.” Asana are the poses – the physical practice. This is described as just the tip of the mountain – not the most important aspect of the practice but the part that is most widely seen and understood. Without getting into too much detail, the practice is more so about quieting the crazy monkey mind and establishing clarity.

What we’re saying is that taking yoga classes can actually relieve stress, relieve mild depression, help you feel more gratitude, and build self-acceptance and satisfaction, among many other benefits. We use breath “pranayama” to balance the body, create flow, establish a moving meditation and give us a break from a usually extremely busy world.

The world is moving at an unprecedented pace. Our children are using cell phones earlier than ever. Babies are holding iPads and playing games and watching videos. We, as students and adults, don’t necessarily have to memorize content for school or work, but can readily look thinks up online. Fast information! Instant gratification! Relief from loneliness or boredom!

What yoga does for us is gives us a break from this. We remember what it feels like to be patient. We learn how to use our breath to change our heart rate, to create patience with ourselves, to meditate. These are skills and practices that just are not found elsewhere, one could argue, except through meditation. Connecting to yourself through yoga allows you to open up to more possibility in life. It’s how we can find our “dharma,” life’s purpose. If we just continue on the hamster wheel and ignore our intuition and block that out with electronics and life’s other distractions, we won’t grow and learn.

forever om yoga

 

 

 

Forever Om Yoga
828 Western Ave.
Lake Forest
847-482-9642

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