6 ways Yoga can move you forward in life

When you think of yoga, what comes to mind? Maybe you imagine people bending themselves into pretzels, or other seemingly impossible shapes. You might assume that yoga is only for flexible people. If so, you’re not alone.

The truth is, yoga can benefit everybody in both body and mind. It can be an incredibly effective tool to assist in personal growth, get you un-stuck so you can gain traction in life, and move towards what you value.

Here are five practical ways yoga can help you move forward in life and how they work.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAKES YOU SMARTER AND HELPS YOU FOCUS (AND KEEPS YOUR BODY HEALTHY TOO)

Most of us already know that physical activity keeps our bodies healthy. Cardiovascular activity is good for the heart, lifting weights (or our own bodies!) makes us stronger, stretching increases mobility, reduces aches and pains, and prevents injury. What about exercising for our brain? Numerous studies show that physical activity actually strengthens our brain in the long-term and makes us more capable of retaining information and increases our ability to focus in the short-term. Not only does exercise make us smarter, but it can also improve our mood. There are many different styles of yoga which vary in intensity, so depending on the physical benefits (i.e. cardiovascular, strength, flexibility, restorative) you desire, there is a type of practice for you. Regardless of the style of physical practice you choose, the cognitive benefits are consistent.

YOGA SLOWS THE CHATTER OF THE MIND

Often what can hold us back from moving in a valued direction is the constant chatter of our minds. If we take a moment to observe, we’ll find our “monkey minds” never seem to stop, jumping from one thought to the next. This often pulls us in a million different directions and thus keeps us stuck. One of the primary mental benefits of yoga is slowing this chatter. When this chatter slows, the things that are truly important to us become clearer, so we can take valued actions.

YOGA ENHANCES MINDFULNESS IN THE FORM OF MOVING MEDITATION

Meditation is another one of those words that might conjure up some stereotypical images. My father-in-law once described meditation as “sitting in a corner thinking about nothing.” While that’s not technically incorrect, most of us have too much of that mental chatter going on to reach the meditative goal of thinking about nothing. That’s where yoga comes in as a “moving meditation.” A moving meditation gives us a point of focus to meditate on, in this case our bodies. Yoga allows us to focus on what our bodies are doing in each posture, connecting to what body part needs to go where, what sensations and signals our bodies are sending, and what muscles we need to activate. This is not only a physical practice but a mental mindfulness practice as well. These mindfulness skills can then be used in other areas of our life to be present with what matters to us.

YOGA CHALLENGES PERFECTIONISM

One of the most common reasons for feeling “stuck” is perfectionism. In fact, procrastination can often be a symptom of perfectionism. This is because that fear of failure or not doing something well enough leads to not getting started at all. Practicing yoga allows us a space to challenge that perfectionism monster. If you practice in a space with other yoga students, that perfectionism monster might start to compare your body or your practice to others’ in the class. This is a great opportunity to notice these thoughts and gently nudge your mind back onto your own mat, back into your body to continue your moving meditation. Whether you’re practicing with others or not, your perfectionism monster may fear that you’re not doing a pose correctly. Notice if you’re trying to push yourself past your body’s limits to try to attain perfection. Or, perhaps you’re so afraid of not doing something correctly that you don’t even try. The more you’re able to notice on your mat, the more you’re training your brain to battle that little perfectionism monster off your mat.

YOGA IMPROVES PHYSICAL AND MENTAL FLEXIBILITY

You already know that yoga improves flexibility in our muscles. However, that stereotype we mentioned earlier, that yoga is only for flexible people, is totally false. Perhaps it’s that perfectionism monster (they’re starting to sound positively cute) telling us we’re “not flexible enough” to do yoga, hm? In addition to physical flexibility, yoga also enhances cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility is necessary to break free of stagnation and take valued action in our life. Cognitive flexibility allows us to tolerate stress, painful experiences, and intense emotions (all things we are guaranteed to experience if we open ourselves up to living a meaningful life). By putting our bodies in less than typical positions, practicing our moving meditation, and noticing the responding thoughts and feelings during practice, we’re honing these cognitive flexibility skills to take with us when the physical practice is over.

YOGA ALLOWS US TO OBSERVE OUR HABITS

There’s a common thread throughout these yoga benefits that you may have noticed. During the practice of yoga, there are numerous skills that we’re honing on our mat that benefit us when we step off and return to life. When we practice, above all, we’re able to observe ourselves. What are the thoughts you think when challenged? What are the feelings you experience when challenged? Do you push yourself too hard, to the point of physical pain or injury? Do you hold back out of fear of embarrassing yourself? Do you hold back out of fear of harming yourself? Are you a good listener? Do you compete with others in order to feel worthy? The answer to all of these questions (and many more) can be found on your mat and will allow you to get to know yourself better so you can appreciate your strengths, while choosing to change what’s not serving you.

-Tessa