We all know or have heard that Yoga improves the lives of those who practice it. Although this is true, most don't really know how practicing Yoga every day will improve your life. So, I compiled a short list of some of the many benefits of everyday Yoga.
Confidence
Yoga is not a competitive activity; the only person you have to work against is yourself. By testing your own boundaries and expectations, you become more in tune with yourself, therefore seeing your true potential and what you are capable of. Seeing this naturally increases self-confidence, leading to a happier and healthier life.
Concentration
When you go deep into an asana [Yoga Pose] and hold yourself there, you have 2 options. 1) Give up and hope to do it next time, or 2) Focus on your breath, and push through. This concentration on the asana carries over to your day to day life, increasing your focus.
Strength
Many people who have never tried Yoga think it is easy, boring, or slow. If you are a Yogi, or have ever been to an Ashtanga Vinyasa class, you know this is far from the truth. Different asanas build different strengths. Warrior 1 build your quadriceps, Crow builds your triceps, Boat builds your core, so on so forth. This strength will carry over into your day to day life as well, making life much easier.
Posture
Correct posture is a common issue many people do not tend to until it is too late. I can not stress enough how important proper posture is for not only your every day life, but for your future as well. In order to correctly practice all asanas, you must have the correct posture during the asana. Focusing on this will naturally align your feet, hips, neck, and spine even when you are off of the mat.
Patience
Getting to that perfect handstand takes one virtue over all others; that is patience. Nobody can jump into an asana without practice, display it correctly, and hold it for at least 5 ujjayi breaths without weeks, or even months of dedicated practice. Building your endurance, strength, and dedication requires a lot of patience. After dedicating yourself to daily practice, your patience will inevitably build. Over time, you will realize traffic doesn't bother you as much, that annoying co-worker is actually just quite friendly, and you enjoy your dog being excited that you're home instead of pushing him off, telling him to get down.
I can not list all of the amazing things that came from practicing yoga every day in one blog post. My quality of life has dramatically increased from dedicating at least one hour of my day to my practice, and I have helped many of my friends by teaching them the invaluable art of yoga.
You can get all of your yoga needs including mats, blocks, straps, and more at our shop: www.funkyyoga.com
Thanks for reading. Namaste!
Dan the Yoga Man