I would like to share how yoga has already helped me at the beginning of my journey, with the hope that someone else who is interested may be nudged to embark on this path as well. I will end by sharing a link or two that I found useful to begin the practice.
My father, being a yoga enthusiast, encouraged my family to do yoga since I was very little. I did reluctantly do yoga asanas in bits and pieces complemented by some pranayama since then but found it too mundane for the runner that I was. To me it was all about running races and marathons, playing football and coming first or scoring the most goals or beating everyone I could at arm wrestling. Yoga has changed this for the better for me.
After having been dormant for over 3-years of depression and treatment, I was suddenly more apprehensive than ever before about doing anything that involved physical activity. Having seen my father’s growth, I knew yoga would be the key to slowly recuperating and improving my flexibility, but as it turns out it has also been helping me bring back my physical strength and (surprisingly) even stamina.
The lockdown finally forced me to sit at home and gave me time to truly focus on my physical and mental health. Today after about just 2 months of practice, I can hold my body better with both, my arms and legs. Nowadays, I keep checking the muscles on my limbs with astonishment and I keep stretching to touch parts of my body in ways I never could before (hah). Truly a new relationship with my body. I am happier and more comfortable with myself as I am focussing on my physical growth and not just concentrating on certain parts focused on winning in a particular kind of activity. It’s all about self-love. Supporting parts of your body that have been ignored. Parts that you did not even realise need your time.
I am still in the process of understanding how yoga helps maintain your mental health but I can truly feel myself be more positive and content than before. I can feel a sense of equanimity in myself. The entire journey of yoga is supposed to be about your relationship with your breath and finally your mind and I have a long way to go, but I can vouch for its benefits being felt in that department from the very beginning.
Some of my friends know I have been getting terrible migraines since the past 2-years that leave me incapacitated whenever they emerge. At the beginning of the lockdown, I was frequented by them almost every day. This lasted for almost a month until I started doing pranayama religiously. My father himself was introduced to yoga when he was seeking a remedy for his migraines decades ago and it changed things for him. Thankfully, even I have not had a migraine since I started.
I would encourage all my friends who are concerned about their health and fitness (physical as well as mental) to try yoga at least once. Maybe some of you may also find this relationship invaluable. I ignored it for too long even though it was right before my eyes and that is not going to be the case anymore.
Here’s to the beginning of a relationship that I intend to hold on to! Here’s to a strong mind and body. Namaste!
Youtube channel for practice at home:
One of the youtube channels that I have found quite helpful for trying yoga asanas at the beginning of the journey is Yoga with Adriene. Adriene not only helps you explore your body in ways you have not before but she also acknowledges that a lot of us cannot immediately jump into complicated asanas. Therefore, she suggests variations of a particular asana that you could try if you are unable to do it. She’ll truly help you Find What Feels Good. And trust me, you’ll see yourself improve in those asanas within weeks if you practice regularly.
Particular links that have helped me begin:
30 Days of Yoga – Yoga with Adriene: A light yet effective introduction to yoga. You will find yourself sweating sometimes during practice but by the time you are done, you will not even remember that you were sweating at some point. These 30 days introduce you to various asanas that are meant for various parts of your body. This 30-days set is perfect to help you slowly cultivate your yoga practice. I particularly liked it because it ended with giving me the space to be able to practice on my own without instruction.
Foundations of Yoga – Yoga with Adriene: Something that is very important and is often ignored not just in yoga but also other forms of exercises is the right posture and method to do it. This playlist helps you create a strong base in the understanding of various asanas that you will encounter during the 30 days and beyond. It is a good idea to refer to these videos the first time you are trying the asanas be it on your own, or through the 30 days playlist.
Here’s to the beginning of a relationship that you will hopefully hold on to! Here’s to a strong mind and body. Namaste!
+ Special mention to Priya Mehta (my mother) for being my yoga buddy. For giving me company and inspiring me to keep going each day, and clicking innumerable pictures of me to help me check my posture. Having a yoga buddy truly helps, so drag someone along!
Today I Learnt 
Simply amazing.!
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