2 Reasons why I Started Yoga and 5 Reasons Why I Keep Doing it

Reasons I started Yoga

(before trying it)

1. Stress: I started yoga because of stress. It was a last resort on a downward spiral that was heading for a disaster. The pressures of work were not great. The pressures of home life were somewhat bad but not overwhelming. All in all, the reaction my body had taken to the outside world was disproportionate to the threat posed. Something had to be done.

(after my first class)

2. Connection to Body: The first thing that struck me about yoga was how it put me in touch with my body. I had practiced buddhist meditation without great rigour for years before that and had experimented to good effect with guided meditation. I was struck and motivated however with the connection that practice gave me to my body and how this was missing from my everyday existence.

Reasons I Keep Doing It

1. Breathing: The deep slow breathing that accompanies the practice and an effect of the practice is one of the major motivators for me to continue with my yoga. There is such a close link between the pace, rhythm and depth of my breathing and the degree to which I am either stressed and frayed or relaxed and in growth. 

2. Inner World: Yoga connects me to my inner world. This effect has emerged steadily since I began practicing in ernest about a year ago. I must be cautious to maintain my meditation practice through this, because the effect can be disruptive and chaotic if I am not careful but on the whole it is a journey I look forward to continuing. 

3. Outer World: Yoga connects me to the outer world. This effect is true both of the natural world and of the human world, where connections start to seem possible that were not possible or visible before.

If you can think of some of your own reasons for either starting yoga or keeping up, please let me know by posting a comment below.

Settling after Surya Namaskar

This evening I split my practice into two sessions and was able to observe the effects of taking a moment to settle down after a dynamic set of poses like Surya Namaskar.

The practice of Surya Namaskar is well documented to have many health benefits and for my Yoga teachers it is taken seriously as a warmup prior to Asana, Pranyama and Meditation. I read a book documenting the many benefits of the practice which was prescribed as a general wellness tonic that provides the body with a range of benefits in addition to its energising payoff.

This evening I was conscious to ensure that I kept a brief period of time following the practice to settle the body down to a restful and easy state and the close of the practice. This allowed me to observe the pace of the heart slow, the breath ease into a gentle rising and falling, down from the intensity of the practice.

I often skip this crucial phase in the practice and it can leave me overly energised and distracted at the close of practice or make it difficult to settle into the pranyama and meditation.