Why Yoga?

My yoga practice began 25 years ago when I was feeling very stressed parenting my two and four-year-old children. I decided to research the best stress reduction program and discovered Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program. (MBSR) (See Palouse Mindfulness.) The eight-week program included meditation, yoga Nidra (body scans), and simple yoga. We were required to attend a two-hour session once a week and to practice 1/2 hour a day.

The changes that I experienced during this eight-week period were profound. Gradually yoga and meditation became a daily practice for me. Below I have listed many personal changes during the first eight weeks and the gradual changes over the years.

Here is my personal reflection:

Why Yoga?

• Reduces stress
• It gave me a sanctuary to go to when needing peace-within.
• Increased my lung capacity, making other arobic sports much eaiser.
• Improved my memory – in a huge way! I always kid that it is because of doing headstands, but it is much more than that. All the mindfulness of yoga helps to improve your memory.
• Helped me to be less reactive in challenging situations.
• Raising children becomes much easier because your patience improves.
• It helps with communication skills, and through mindfulness, you become a better listener.
• Yoga is great for the back’s flexibility, and they say, “you are as young as your back is flexible.” I also healed a back injury years ago.
• Savasana will completely change the way you sleep. (I always begin on my back (like savanna) and then turn to my side. I go to bed early and get up early.)
• It slows your eating down.
• It helps your immune system. (I haven’t been sick in years)
• The practice of yoga helps you balance the hemispheres of the brain, which aids, in turn, helps you to be more organized and, therefore, takes less time to get things done. (Friends would ask me years ago how do you have time to do yoga 90 minutes a day, and my answer was “because it actually gives me more time.”)
• You become more minimalistic  – I have rid myself of so many “things”! I now have a small, simple home where everything has its place and serves a purpose.
• Back when I was performing as a cabaret singer – yoga literally removed my stage fright and improved my singing as I learned to relax my body more.
• Yoga greatly increases your energy. For years and years now, I no longer have the afternoon lows. I am an energizer bunny right until I go to bed at night!
• It encourages me to take more risks in life because I have taken risks on the mat.
• I actually realized years ago through yoga that sugar was causing me stress. Now I know my limitations and limit my intake. It has helped my diet immensely because your body becomes more sensitive as you begin to go inward and “listen” to your body’s likes and dislikes.

There are many more reasons to “Why Yoga”? You can google it yourself, but I think my personal list would persuade anyone to give it a try. Change first begins with a daily commitment, and with this discipline, we begin to self-transform.

Enjoy the journey!

Sue

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