Yoga is a spiritual and physical discipline, that includes breath control, meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures. It is widely practiced for health and relaxation. This practice has done SO much for me over the course of just a year. My first time ever stepping onto a yoga mat was at The Yoga Shack. I had been wanting to try for awhile and I just hadn’t pushed myself to go for it. One of my friends from college had gone a few times before so she was the perfect one to accompany me. From there, her and I decided to make it into a routine on the weekends. We would go Saturday mornings. It was the perfect way to start off the day. This was also where my love for yoga came to be and grew!

Yoga has done so much for me, mentally and physically. I couldn’t have even imagined the benefits that this would have. There are people that don’t like it, but for me it’s done nothing but wonders. Yoga helps with your balance, flexibility, and strength. I didn’t realize how much it played a part in each, especially strength. If you read my previous blog, Accident., you know that I’ve been in a car accident that effected my back and neck. After I complete a workout, the tension in my torso and the rest of my body is relieved and feels as if the pain has drifted away… My body, and mind go into a state of relaxation that I cannot feel at any other time. I truly can’t even put it into words, it is something you just have to feel for yourself. I feel my spine lengthen, each muscle within my body stretch, and I feel that I am getting a workout without actually “working out”. This practice provides you with the ability to relax, while also feeling energized.

When it comes to a mental, or spiritual state, I am also just as astonished. Have you ever been able to relax your mind to feel you are not thinking at all? Our brains are always in constant motion, but how often can you really feel that your brain is a rest when you’re awake? I have not felt that sensation until my first time trying Savasana. This is a restorative pose that is also known as the “corpse pose”. As easy as it may look, it is considered one of the most difficult of asanas (a pose). The essence of this pose is to relax with attention. As I had mentioned, have you been able to ever just relax the mind without any intentional thought?

I’m sure you have heard people say that yoga makes you more “self aware.” Self awareness has become more clear to me now that I have begun (or is it began? lol) yoga. Now that I am going through the poses, I can feel the motions of my body. I can feel the areas that are getting attention that may not have felt it before. You’re aware of your breathing, your movement, your mind… When we are alone with our thoughts we tend to overthink, or even critique ourselves. This is suppose to be a way to escape these negative thoughts and focus on the good!

Due to the car accident, I attended about six months of orthopedic care. If I could have replaced all my PT, chiropractor, and acupuncture appointments with yoga classes, I absolutely would have! I believe yoga would have done that much more to heal me rather than those other sessions. Not to tear down the doctors I encountered. They did a very good job and I would recommend them to anyone. It’s just that for me, yoga seemed to work for my situation. Although I know that I can never truly be healed, it helps knowing that I can relieve myself for a little while with the help of a yoga session.

As mentioned, my first yoga experiences were with my friend. We had gone to a few different yoga studios just to see which one we might like the best and also just to change it up! I have not been to a studio for awhile now because I didn’t want to make that a continuous expense. It can get mighty expensive but you can always check out Groupon for some great deals! But, I decided that I would shift to home yoga sessions instead. I looked around a little bit through different apps and on YouTube at different channels. I finally came across Yoga with Adriene on YouTube. Adriene is wonderful, and demonstrates experience and passion for the practice. Plus, she has the cutest pup :). Who doesn’t want to watch someone with a cute pet? I truly recommend her so let me know what you think if you decide to check her out!

Here are some pictures from my little getaway this past weekend in Bethleham, Connecticut. Keith and I took a yoga class with one of the people that hosted the Airbnb. She teaches on the weekend on occasion, and with my love for yoga Keith decided to try it out for the first time with me! These pictures are a combo of pictures of outside the studio and outside the Airbnb hut. I figured I would throw in a picture of myself losing balance during a tree pose, enjoy haha.

Leave a comment to tell me about your yoga journeys… Whether they have helped you in a tough situation, for daily exercise/meditation, your favorite pose(s). I would love to hear it, fellow yogis!

Namaste. ॐ

See ya,
Samm 🙂