Why You Should Develop that Yoga Habit

To those looking for the sweat and the muscle ache, yoga is hardly the first thing that comes to mind.

What comes to mind when you think of yoga? Active wear? Vegan diets? Maybe contorted “Instagram-worthy” poses that give you muscle pain when you look them up on Google?

Yoga is arguably one of the most popular, if not the most popular kind of physical activity that people practice today. Yoga studios line commercial districts left and right while men and women alike, still clad in corporate attire, make a beeline for that Hot Yoga session after work.

Despite this, a lot of people remain yoga skeptics. This may be due to a lack of flexibility, self-esteem issues, expectations of a boring practice, or an overall aversion to Lululemons. A lot of these doubts stem from a lack of understanding of what yoga, as both a physical and spiritual practice, truly is. A quick Google search will fail to show you that a yogi can be anyone, regardless of how much they weigh or of whatever background they may come from. 

Here’s why you absolutely can and should try yoga.

1. You can go at your own pace.

Beginner to yoga? Practice at a beginner’s level. Never done a split before? Then (for now) stay far away from those full splits. Getting tired? Take a breather!

When on your mat, you and only you can dictate how you practice. Instructors are there to guide you through the flow and make corrections to your posture, but in the end, you are in control. If you’re coming into yoga as someone who isn’t used to physical exercise, you have the freedom to practice accordingly.

Every yoga pose has modifications, making it easier for your body to assume the different postures and thus allowing you to better reap the benefits from them. Instead of forcing yourself into a full plank your body may not be ready to hold, for example, try landing your knees on the mat for a more stable modified pose that’s better suited to help you build strength.

Yoga studios also have props, like blocks and straps, which are readily available to help you get into poses that are otherwise out of your physical comfort zone. 

2. Take it one step at a time.

Yoga is about gradual development. The toughest of yogis will tell you that it’s taken them years to build the strength to get into certain poses. If after a few months you still can’t touch your toes or a full chaturanga is still out of reach, don’t be discouraged. Your body isn’t a machine that produces perfect results after a specified duration, and yoga can help you to appreciate that and maybe even enjoy the process more. Different bodies develop at different rates, and through yoga, you learn to build outer and inner strength at just the right pace for yourself.

3. Learn the benefits of flexibility.

Perhaps one of the factors that intimidates people the most about yoga is flexibility. Many yoga poses require some degree of flexibility, which can be understandably daunting to many, especially those who aren’t used to stretching exercises.  Adding to these worries is how stretching, when done recklessly, can often lead to injury. 

Yoga teaches you how to practice in a way that respects both the limits and potential of your body. Mindful stretching is the key to overcoming that inflexible barrier. Opening yourself to a few moments of slight discomfort in either a quad or shoulder stretch can do wonders in helping improve overall body mobility, which is especially important for those who live sedentary lifestyles. Regular stretching can produce benefits within your body that will last for years. 

4. Yoga can be challenging, too.

For the more physically active, yoga can seem rather dull. To those looking for the sweat and the muscle ache, yoga is hardly the first thing that comes to mind. This may seem the case if you judge it on the surface, but what most people take for granted is just how physically challenging yoga can be. Planks are one of the foundational poses in yoga, and even after years of practice, they never get easy. While building muscles and losing weight aren’t the main goals of yoga, dynamic practices like Ashtanga, Bikram, or Power Yoga are great for challenging the mind and body in ways few other activities are able to do.

5. Practice self-love.

Many yogis will attest to how the most important part of their yoga practice is self-love. Above all else, yoga teaches acceptance, mindfulness, and compassion. Competitiveness has become such an ingrained mindset these days, whether against other people or against yourself, that it often leads to us becoming overly critical and self-deprecating. Through yoga, you can learn to accept and love yourself more and to apply its tenets to everyday life off the mat, regardless of whether or not you can do a headstand. 

So the next time you find yourself looking for a new activity to counter the stress of work or life in general, try looking up your nearest yoga studio and booking a class. You might find yourself coming for the workout but staying for the new-found peace and well-being.

And if all that isn’t enough to convince you to try yoga, maybe do it for that lovely savasana.