15 Things You Might Notice When you Commit to a Regular Yoga Practice
You’ve probably heard that yoga is good for you. But do you know how the benefits may support you in your day-to-day life? Sure, you’ll likely see improvements in your strength and flexibility, but the shifts run much deeper. Yoga provides us with an opportunity to create space in the mind and body, making it the perfect anecdote to the stresses of modern life.
Here’s what you might notice when you start to practice more frequently. If you’re thinking about giving our free 30 days with Fable series a go, you may spot some of the changes as you move throughout the series.
- You’ll find yourself breathing deeply through tense situations - just as we do through challenging postures on the mat, this begins to filter through into other life challenges such as when your boss is being demanding or you’re stuck in traffic. That’s a super power.
- You'll find more openness in the body. Bit by bit those tighter areas will begin to feel a little more open and spacious. Hurrah!
- Your digestion may begin to improve as a result of all of the twisting poses.
- You’ll start to create distance between your thoughts and how you react to them. This space provides you with an opportunity to decide how to react in times of conflict.
- Your core will begin to feel stronger and you’ll notice you can hold asanas for longer, along with a general improvement in overall strength. All thanks to postures like plank and chaturunga which work with your own bodyweight.
- You may notice bottled up feelings release. Yoga forces us to be present and sometimes this experience isn’t always comfortable as surprising emotions may rise to the surface during moments of stillness. If you find the tears flowing on your mat, don’t worry it’s totally normal - it’s energy in motion. The release helps us to let go of situations and feelings that we don’t need to hold on to.
- You begin to notice when and where you hold tension. So next time your shoulders are hunched up to your ears or your jaw is tense you can immediately begin to soften rather than carrying it throughout your day.
- Your sleeping has improved - That's because yoga can help to restore your natural circadian rhythm and an evening nidra, restorative or meditation session before bed will help you to create space from the stressors of the day.
- Your posture has improved - your posture will improve thanks to the combination of muscle strengthening, stretching and body awareness.
- You begin to get the hang of moving with the breath on your mat - your yoga practice becomes a moving meditation because you understand where your hands and feet should be, you are fully focussed on the practice.
- You stop worrying about what your practice looks like and pay attention to how it feels. You’re more concerned with feeling sensations rather than forcing shapes.
- Your focus begins to improve - the commitment and dedication it takes to maintain a regular practice will spill over into other areas of your life.
- Your anxiety levels decrease - anxiety thrives off a preoccupation with the future and worrying about what could be. Yoga forces us into the present moment by connecting mind, body and breath leaving room for nothing else.
- You’ll begin to become kinder and more compassionate towards yourself
- You will pester all of your friends to take up yoga too because you’ve experienced the benefits for yourself.
Join us for our free 30 days of Fable yoga challenge starting 2nd January 2021, designed to help you commit to your home yoga practice. Join us here.