Yoga: More Than Just a Physical Practice

Maybe you've heard teachers saying this in class, "yoga isn't just about the postures, the asana, your physical body and wellbeing". It goes so much further than that.

Yes we may physically sense and reap the benefits of our bodies moving around on the mat, which definitely brings an antidote to the busy-ness of modern life. But yoga also brings so much more!

To our mental states; to our sense of grounding in the present moment; to our perspective on life; to the connection between the body and the mind. It's a practice that reminds us of all the parts that combine to make us who we are, and how we can approach our wellbeing holistically.

Even 10 minutes a day can support your well-being, deepen your presence, and strengthen your connections—with yourself, others, and your community. 

 

It's quite a rich topic, so we've outlined some points below, but these are by no means an extensive list of the benefits of a yoga practice. You too may have differing experiences and reasons for coming to yoga, and what this practice has brought into your life. That's the beauty of it — it can bring so much to us, and these benefits are constantly changing as we shift and grow.

Have a read and as ever, feel free to share your thoughts and personal experiences with us.

1. It brings you into your body

Because of the way many of us live our lives today, working on screens or rushing from one task to the next, we spend much of our time living in our heads. It's a pattern that's become so ingrained that often it can be hard for us to get space from our thoughts, to move the energy of the day elsewhere.

This can lead us to feel overwhelmed by our thoughts, to lack perspective on what might really matter in the moment, and to become disconnected from our bodies in the present moment.

Yoga can help us cultivate more awareness of our bodies and the things that we might be carrying there, not just in our minds. Emotions can crop up in our thoughts of course, but often they have a physical resonance. Having a movement practice such as yoga can put us back in touch with what might be going on for our emotional selves, giving us a place to acknowledge, witness and potentially shift those states of constant change inside ourselves.

Even if it's just a moment a day asking "how am I feeling right now?", "how is this changing as I move?" can help us recognise ourselves, cultivating safety to feel all the fluctuating feelings that come with being a human being 🙂

 

 

2. It is a consistent window to ourselves and others

While you don't need to practice every day to receive the benefits of yoga, a regular practice gives you regular check in points with yourself. Showing up regularly gives you a chance to cultivate a deeper awareness and understanding of yourself, which has wider benefits of reducing anxiety and stress, because you have had the chance to create space between your thoughts — to come back into your body and the ground beneath you.

As you show up for yourself over and over, your sense of compassion for yourself increases, as does the idea of resilience — you begin to understand yourself on a deeper level, and how to approach and respond to life effectively.

This can ripple out to how to connect with others also, now that you have the foundation with your own awareness. You may begin to see the complexities of other beings, the challenges that you've also faced in some capacity, and that compassion can spread. In turn this builds more of a sense of connection and community with the world and people around you.

 

 

3. It changes how we move through the world

Day by day, yoga can bring profound changes to all aspects of our wellbeing, and just generally to us as beings in this world. It changes the way we feel, relate and move through the world. The beauty of it is that even just 10 minutes a day can provide the daily anchor that, over time, can gently but noticeably help us.

Essentially, you don't need to be practicing hour after hour, or do a particularly 'strong' yoga practice to cultivate all that we've outlined. While our classes at the studio do provide an hour or so to drop in, all day every day, we've also been developing a new offering to meet the needs of people who may not be able to make it to the studio for various reasons — time, preference, health or access needs.

 

 

Want to start yoga but can’t make it to the studio? We’ve just added to our offerings a 1 Week, 10 Minutes a Day: Beginners Yoga course.

This is an easy-to-slot-into-your-day course, designed with beginners in mind with just 10 minutes of practice each day. Learn the basics of yoga in a relaxed, manageable way that you can keep going with!

Whether you're looking to build flexibility, strength, or simply find a moment of calm, this course fits into even the busiest schedule. Join us for a week exploring mindful movement.

And if you do want to join us at the studio, you can peruse our schedule here!