10 Inspiring Reasons To Love Yoga 

As an experienced yoga practitioner I wholeheartedly believe that yoga can change lives, it can shape the way you see the world and create a safety net of routine when practised daily. And by sharing my knowledge on the subject I hope to spark the passion of another fellow yogi.

Tumbling into Autumn has only instilled my love of yoga further, it has allowed me to create cosy sequences, bring out candles, blankets, even trying different styles to fit around the changing season, there is no better feeling than finishing a 45 minute practice lying in Shavasana listening to the wind and rain whirring outside.

But how does yoga change lives, what makes it such an inspiring ancient art?

1. Your mat becomes your safe space – Away from the noise, it’s your place to zone out, your time to tune inwards, you begin to not only focus on your thoughts, feelings and presence on the mat but you relax into its safety and nest like appeal.
2. It gives you a creative outlet – Much the same as art or dance, you can put together a beautiful sequence flowing from one pose to the next, moving with the breath, making a connection between body and mind.
3. It empowers you – That feeling of being in a powerful pose, standing still in Warrior pose can make you feel strong and unstoppable, even if you didn’t believe it before, you start to feel it once on the mat.
4. It provides an emotional outlet – You are moving the body in a way that's telling the nervous system it is OK to release emotion now, its OK to cry, laugh, smile, be apathetic, all without judgment just understanding.
5. You begin to recognize how you feel – Not just on the surface, the face you give the world when someone asks how you are and you reply automatically with your fine, but a real insight into your mental health, and how it is affecting you right now.
6. You gain physical strength – Overtime your muscles become stronger from the different postures and poses you practice, you become more mobile and your flexibility improves, this is because you are using all of your body and muscles in tune with one another creating a stronger you.
7. You provide yourself with a routine everyday – Everyone benefits from routine and by taking on a daily yoga practice you can enhance this daily structure, having a set time of day or class you go to each week gives you a focus, a goal, a determined feeling to put everything aside for a moment whilst you make time for self.
8. Yoga changes the way you see your body – During our yoga journey we are taught to honour and respect all that our body is and what it can do, loving its achievements and differences, honing in on what it can do and not what it can’t, we learn to love ourselves as we are through yoga.
9. It can be taken and modified to suit you – Everyone is different and every body will need something different, yoga has many different styles and classes to suit all, there are so many options available now such as in person classes, online pre recorded classes or a live online class, not only that but you are now able to search a style for your own personal needs such as back health, beginner, evening, anything that meets your needs.
10. You start to ‘observe’ your pains or struggles – You stop jumping in and reacting, trying to ‘fix’ everything, you take time to manage and decide what is best for self, what is it that is bothering you is it physical or mental and by observing more, reacting less we are allowing ourselves time to find compassion towards self.

These examples are just some of the reasons to love yoga, and there is really nothing else like it to strengthen, lengthen and tone your body. But the real magic happens when you put yourself onto the mat and reach a higher spiritual level within, because yes this practice we call yoga is wonderful for the body physically it can also tap into a new sense of empowerment and enlightenment, helping us feel calm, peaceful and grounded.

“We are all seeds to begin with, its how we blossom and grow that counts” – Emma Mills.