Yoga - A Practice of Mindfulness 🙏🏻

Yoga has become one of my favorite exercises - something to practice several times a week. I slowly began practicing when I started running - as a way to strength train, to stretch, and to center myself.

While I often go to classes at local studios or my gym, I also practice on my own, at home. Yoga is constant work, something I'm always striving on, and by going through the routines, the rhythm of it, I allow myself to release the pressure that I sometimes put on myself in other more competitive situations.

Yoga emphasizes being willing and open-minded. In order to get through some of the poses, you have to dare. You have to be able to kick your legs into a handstand and not be afraid to fall. If you fall, you try again. And that's how you succeed. Through this, it also teaches mindfulness. Mindfulness is defined as "the intentional, accepting and non-judgememental focus of one's attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment" (Zgierska, 2009). By focusing on the yoga, you can move through the movements intentionally and be able to feel the sensations. This allows one to learn mindfulness and take it to others spaces in life, such as eating or stress relief.

One of my favorite yoga instructors is Emily (pictured above). For more information about her classes, please visit emilytullyyoga.com

I hope you take some time to go practice this week. Namaste.