A friend of mine asked me to share a few thoughts about why I love yoga. Without contemplation, these were the first 3 points that came to mind:
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freedom. when the yoga practice becomes constant (not just on the yoga mat), we become less effected by outside circumstances. we become less agitated when things don’t go our way or people don’t act the way that we might like them to. it allows us to be non reactive and more responsible for our own individual experiences. this translates to freedom.
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improved relationships. my family and friends noticed a significant change in me when I started practicing yoga regularly. yoga allowed me to treat myself with more compassion and kindness, which allows me to extend that to the people that I love and random people I cross paths with.
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connection to myself. before yoga, I didn’t know who I was. when I started practicing, I found myself asking the questions — who am I, actually? what is it that I truly want? what kind of person do I want to be? do my actions align with the answers to those questions? once I started asking these questions, I began the journey of self-discovery. it’s a continuous journey that requires constant work.. yoga illuminates the pathway and gives me the tool to mindfully navigate and cultivate the life that I truly want — and it’s up to me to apply them. Connection to self = power.