Why I Think Yoga is The Answer To Everything

Yoga, in my opinion, is the best and most useful tool I've ever come to realise when it comes to relating to my spirituality, my constant desire to improve upon myself and of course, my mind, my body and my overall health.

I wasn't always a believer in the real magic I now know yoga holds. It took me time and persistence to work on it daily and still, there are many flaws in my practice. I'd say, I am not anywhere near where I'd like to be on the mat just yet however, when I first began taking yoga I was adamant it just wasn't for me- it felt difficult and unnatural. My body seemed out of line, I had terrible balance, my posture was all out of sorts, some simple stretches caused me pain and it all left me feeling like I wasn't up to the task! Overall I just didn't feel "fit" enough to do what I had set out to do but I couldn't give up, I kept moving forward, just a little at a time. I'd already learned too much about the benefits and history of yoga to just stop and give up. I knew it was there I just had to find it.

"The very heart of yoga practice is abhyasa - steady effort in the direction you want to go."

- Sally Kempton

Coming to realise that just moving forward is the essence of yoga was, for me, the most important part and eventually, as I got into it and made it a staple part of my life, my flexibility improved, my breathing was more in sync with my movements, my muscles became stronger and I was was able to do much much more with my body. More than this, my mind felt a whole bunch calmer, I was much more focused during the day, I slept easier at night and my willpower shot through the roof! Even I was impressed with the results! Which, if you'd seen me a few short years ago, you wouldn't think it was possible either.

Much like learning to drive, it seems extremely hard, even unnatural at first, but once you get out on the road a few times, it comes naturally and you just want to get out there!

After each and every session I feel restored now, calm and ready to tackle life.

Again, it wasn't always like that....

Before I saw any progress I'd come away from sessions feeling exhausted and disappointed. I was doing the routines just for the sake of doing them and while sometimes I felt good afterwards, there was generally a negative vibe about me. Of which I was sure was the opposite effect yoga was supposed to have on you. I was almost certain I just wasn't the type of person that yoga was for, everything about my past screamed the opposite.

Things couldn't be any more different today and I can say first hand it's worth holding out for.

"It's not about your history, but your presence on the mat that matters". - Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

The reason I wanted to write on this topic is because in order to gain a fuller understanding of what yoga had to offer me, I had to start from scratch and fulfill myself with instant gratification from my practice (which is possibly the only time I've found instant gratification useful to my long-term goals!). What I mean by this, is that I needed to focus on where I needed to improve on myself. I had a bad back for a while, so at the time much of my attention was concentrated on this. I would set up routines and follow videos that focused on opening the lower-back or lengthening the spine. Immediately I felt better and my back felt better. It was enough for me to believe it could help and that was just the beginning.

I went from improving on small insignificant ailments, to changing my entire lifestyle - slowly but surely, it came with time and there was no looking back. Once I saw the light, I couldn't unsee it!

Everything felt lifted! Not just my energy & my butt but my mood too! On and off the mat things began to get better and better everyday. I can't remember the last time I felt under the weather or even stressed. It's impossible to feel negative after or during a session now. Yoga is my pill.

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Written by Charlotte Deverill