5 Reasons you should begin a Yoga Routine

Twenty years ago my sister bought me an MTV yoga

DVD for Christmas. I would put it on in my living room while my 2 babies thought it was fun to hang on me and crawl under me as I held the various positions. About 5 years later I was working as a fitness instructor at a local YMCA. I was super excited when a friend of mine, and fellow fitness instructor, began teaching yoga at this gym. To show my support, I promised to attend her first class.

Let me back up a second. This yoga class was not called yoga on the gyms fitness class schedule. They decided to call it Strength and Stretch, because they feared that members wouldn't come if it was called yoga. Fast forward to the very 1st yoga class. I arrived early, because my friend was nervous, and I wanted to show my support. I rolled out my mat right in front of the room, and as I sat on my mat waiting for the class to begin, people slowly started showing up. There was good attendance for it being a new class. When my friend settled in, she welcomed everyone to "yoga." Two ladies in the back got upset, because the schedule had not specified that this was a yoga class. They said that yoga was against their religion, and they got up and left.

This may sound bizerko, but it still baffles me how many people don't know what yoga is. In the gym world, there are many who think that it's not a "Real Workout." There are many people who think that yoga is all weird, or hokey. And there are still so many people who have never tried it.

If you are one of these people who has yet to fall in love with Yoga, here are 5 reasons why you should give it a try...

1. IT IS A GOOD WORKOUT THAT WILL CHALLENGE YOU

As a self proclaimed gym junkie, I can tell you that I love the high intensity workouts that make you jump, sweat, breathe hard, and make you feel like a Spartan Warrior. What gym buffs don't realize is that many yoga poses are basically isometric holds. Many of the poses force the body to contract every major muscle group in an isometric hold. Many of the balances require you to engage your entire core, which is essentially core conditioning. And guess what...? This hurts. It is uncomfortable. And the whole point of exercising to get fit is to push the body outside of its comfort zone. A good yoga class will do just that. And you will feel sore the next day. I promise you.

2. IT'S A FEEL GOOD WORKOUT

Unlike other workouts, yoga feels good. What do I mean by this? Yoga won't wreck havoc on your joints. In my early 30's I decided to work towards participating in a fitness competition. I was working out 2-3 hours 5-6 days a week. I ended up getting tendinitis in my right shoulder, a bulging disc in my L5, and suffered from adrenal fatigue. You can do yoga every day, twice a day, and you won't suffer from over use injuries. It is a low impact workout that will strengthen the body while lengthening your muscles and increasing flexibility and range of motion.

3. IT WILL INCREASE YOUR ABILITY TO FOCUS

I go back to my 1st days of doing yoga in my living room. Do you know how hard it is to hold a plank, or tree pose, or warrior 2 while a couple of toddlers pretend that you are a bridge with a scary troll who lives next to your feet?

You cannot hold the poses in yoga if you do not know how to focus. Practicing yoga on a regular basis will not only benefit the body, but will exercise your ability to shut out distractions. The ability to focus on what is right in front of you strengthens the mind. That's why they say that yoga benefits the mind as well as the body.

4. YOU WILL LEARN THE ART OF STILLNESS

This kinda stems off of exercising the ability to focus. When we focus, we shut out the noise and zone in on one thing. In a yoga practice, this one thing becomes ourselves. Sound simple? No...it really isn't. It requires commitment and practice. Our world is busy and full of distractions. We get addicted to the distractions, because it is much easier to look at drama than it is to be with ourselves. Why? Because many of us are afraid to look at ourselves. We are afraid because in doing so, we will come face to face with our insecurities, our vulnerabilities, our guilt, our failures, the lies we've created, the pain we've caused, and we'd much rather shove all that under the rug. In yoga, while you hold a pose, there is no jumping, no instructor yelling at you, no intensity...there is just you and your breath. This forces you to be with yourself, even if it's just for a few minutes. If you don't run away from this fear, as you continue your practice, you will see the real authentic version of you. You will see that you, and every creation on this planet comes from a divine spark of love. You will see that you are a divine creation of light and love.

5. RECOVERY

If nothing else motivates you to begin a regular yoga practice, think of this. Thirty to sixty minutes of yoga will absolutely, undoubtedly serve as a recovery. If you are a runner, a heavy lifter, an athlete of any sort, yoga can and should be used as a recovery workout. It will stretch your tight muscles. It will relieve your achy joints. It will increase your flexibility and range of motion, which in turn will help your athletic performance. Tight muscles don't run fast or jump high. The quiet relaxing nature of yoga will also give the mind a chance to recover. Think of all the "stuff" we deal with on a daily basis. It is crazy. Think of the heavy traffic, the deadlines, the constant rushing to get stuff done. Yoga is unlike any other workout in that it also gives the brain a chance to recover. In yoga, you don't have to think about what your'e going to make for dinner. You don't have to think about your boss, or the laundry that still isn't folded. You don't even think about losing weight, or looking good in a sports bra. You just get to be with yourself, that's it. Just you, with no expectations or demands or judgments. It lets your brain relax along with your body.

If you haven't given yoga a try. I highly encourage you to try it. If you have any questions as to how to begin a practice, please ask me. I will be glad to point you in the right direction.

If you are interested in beginning a practice at home, sign up for my Yoga Strength & Flow program at www.ayurvedacoach.org/plans-pricing In this program you will get challenging, yet relaxing workouts delivered to your inbox which you can do any time you press play. You will also learn the basics and foundation of yoga, Ayurveda, and it's power to heal the body and the mind. You will learn to love yourself, to release everything that has been holding you back, and you will be given the tools to live a life of optimal health, healing, and wellness. This program will leave you radiantly beautiful, full of confidence, and ready to step into the healthiest version of you.

As always, much love and namaste,

Sabrina White