something new: hot yoga

I have been wanting to try yoga for the longest time now and when my friend Sophia mentioned she wanted to as well, it was fate. The next week we went and signed up for our local hot yoga studio, did our first yin class and were immediately hooked. I was so blown away with how enlightening and spiritual it was. It wasn’t just an exercise class, it was a soul cleanser and a mind clearer. I stepped out of that 37°C room and had never felt so zen in my entire life. The class was 90 minutes long and focused on mostly floor positions that you held for longer than the usual yoga position, nice slow long stretches. It was almost an out of body experience, it was like an hour and a half long meditation and I loved every moment of it.

Here are some of the amazing benefits that I have discovered through yoga:

Spiritual

Meditation Like I said, yin yoga is like pure mediation, and as I’ve mentioned previously on my blog, I am very pro-meditation. Meditation has helped me so much to clear my mind and stop stressing about the future, it’s helped me to try and better myself to be the person I want to be and to just slow down a bit and enjoy the present. There is no future or past, there is only right now in this moment that you will never have again, and this is one of the focuses that yoga helps you to understand. Trying to clear your mind and truly achieve complete calm, your thoughts are just clouds passing over a blue sky, they come and go, so don’t get too attached to them or let them drown you. You are not your thoughts, they are a completely separate thing to your identity. Yoga has truly helped me to come to realise this through these sessions, it is so spiritually nourishing.

Physical

Less Soreness I am a regular exerciser, I love exercise, it makes me feel really good. That being said, going to the gym every other day and using weights can make your muscles a bit sore. Which I don’t mind, I kinda got used to the gym-sore feeling in my legs and shoulders. At my job, I stand all day, which tends to further put strain on my muscles. But since doing yoga regularly, I have noticed that I’m not nearly as achy as I used to be, I’m all stretched out and relaxed and it feels oh so good.

Flexibility I have found this is one of the main reasons that people try out yoga, to increase their flexibility. I have only been doing yoga for a matter of weeks and have already found my flexibility to be getting better! I am able to bend further into positions or hold them for longer than I could in my first session, that’s how fast the progress is!

Mental Body Image For as long as I can remember, I have always lacked in body confidence and had poor body image, horribly this seems to be quite common in this generation. At yoga there are people of all ages, shapes, ethnicities and skill levels, there is zero judgement. Everyone is different and the teachers have helped me to understand this and embrace my own body. I now feel I have a better understanding of my body and my body’s purpose. My body is the carrier of my soul, my soul is unique to only me, no two souls are the same, as a result everyone’s bodies are different because everyone’s soul is different. My body is unique to my soul, that’s why it looks the way it looks, why it’s not perfect. I thought this was just so beautiful. You should look after and respect your body in order to look after your soul. Since hearing this it kind of just clicked a bit, I finally started to feel comfortable in my skin. I’m sure this doesn’t just happen instantaneously for everyone after years of self-consciousness and uncomfortableness, it’s a journey, a process in accepting yourself.

Healthy Mind It has helped me to learn to be patient, not only with myself but with other people. It has helped me to let go of things and move on, breathe in positivity and let go of any negativity. It’s helped to calm my mind of my thoughts racing a million miles an hour, to keep that clear blue sky. It helps me to maintain my mental health and taught me what to do if I’m feeling anxious or stressed or like I need a break from reality. It honestly feels like a weight has been lifted, it has just changed my entire life, which sounds so dramatic I know, but it’s true. It’s amazing how much of your life is affected by your mental health, so if that’s something you are struggling with, honestly give yoga a go!

Okay, I’ll stop preaching now. But seriously, if you’re looking for a sign to start yoga, this is it! Courtney xx

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