Author : David Boustan
Yoga Saved My Life: How Yoga Transformed My Body and Mind.
When I was in my teens, I led a very unhealthy lifestyle. I got hooked on fast food and sweets. I devoted all of my time to doing nothing but playing video games. After one particular incident that caused me to reevaluate my life, I decided to radically change who I was and what I did. I started with yoga. It helped me calm down, put my mind at ease, and discovered the power of mindfulness. Yoga became the thing that brought positivity into my life. It’s amazing how a single decision can change everything for you!
What yoga did for me
I always knew that yoga was important, but I never really understood why. I knew it was a fairly important practice because of the many friends I had who told me time and time again that they could not live without it. Yoga is a form of exercise that requires the body to go through many different poses in order for it to be considered “yoga.” You can imagine how difficult it is for me, at 6’2″ and 240 pounds and someone who is probably the least flexible person in any yoga class at any time, needless to say it was not an easy first step. Walking into my first class, I felt intimidated. All of these thin people doing exercises that I couldn’t do without assistance. As the class progressed, I started to understand the beauty of it. The more yoga classes I took, the more my body changed too. I had more energy than ever before! My mood improved drastically. And best of all – my clothes fit better! It was so motivating to feel good about myself again. Yoga helped me get back on track with my life and overcome some adversity, while also giving me tools to stay healthy.
Why I love doing Yoga
You might be thinking: “Why is this guy talking about yoga so passionately right now?” I know, I was too. But it all leads back to one very important thing: My health. I’ve always been an active person, but after making that one decision to live a healthier lifestyle, I noticed that my body felt much lighter and more energized than ever before. The gym is great and all, but it definitely misses the mark on many levels. Yoga helped me change my entire outlook on life and myself. I noticed how much better I felt physically and mentally after starting a regular yoga routine. And the best part is that the physical changes were only the beginning of what happened for me. The more time I spent doing yoga, the more things started to click for me emotionally and mentally as well. Yoga has allowed me to become a better version of myself in every sense of the word: physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s something that’s made me grow into a happier person with improved self-esteem and confidence as well as an improved quality of life.
Benefits of doing Yoga
Yoga is a natural way to improve your mental and physical health. One study found that people who did yoga had higher levels of happiness, life satisfaction, and self-esteem than those who didn’t. Yoga has also been found to be effective for improving symptoms of depression and anxiety. It’s also been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce symptoms of chronic pain. Yoga is easy on the body, which makes it a great workout option for those with joint issues or back problems. It can help you relieve stress, calm anger, and find balance in your life. Yoga is a great form of exercise as well as a source of self-healing. So why not give it a try? You might be surprised by what changes it brings about!
How Yoga Saved My Life
It’s not an exaggeration to say that I was completely unhappy. I was living a life of self-loathing and negativity, and I hated it. I was so consumed by the idea of being unhappy that I never considered how much unhappiness came from my own thoughts. My poor decisions had led me down a path towards loneliness, seclusion, and misery. After one particular incident that caused me to reevaluate my life, I decided to radically change who I was and what I did. I started with yoga. It helped me calm down, put my mind at ease, and discovered the power of mindfulness. Yoga became the thing that brought positivity into my life. It’s amazing how a single decision can change everything for you!
Getting started with yoga for beginners
Yoga is an ancient practice that has become immensely popular in the Western world. But if you’re looking for your first experience with yoga, it can be hard to know where to start. Should you go into it blindly? Or should you take a gentler approach by starting off with something like Tai Chi or Pilates? Personally, my opinion is to just start. The more you overthink it and try to overcomplicate the starting process the further you will be from trying yoga. It’s only intimidating because you believe it is. There are tons of useful resources online and on youtube that can help get you started. I wanted to write this blog because I believe there are many others out there who could benefit from knowing they are not alone in their personal life struggles as well potential intimidation and insecurity that comes with trying new things. My journey started with this: Intro To Yoga: A beginners guide to starting Yoga. They have an incredible school for Yoga Teacher Training and continuing education course, so I knew I would be in good hands right from the get-go. Some may prefer a different kind of intro beginners course, but this is the one that changed my life, so I felt it was necessary to share it with others. It was amazing and I can’t thank them enough for all they have done for me. I’ve gone from a beginner to a regular daily practice kind of yogi. But, don’t take my word for it, try it yourself and you’ll see what I mean.
Conclusion
Yoga changed my life and I cannot imagine how it would be without it. I feel happy and at peace, I am grateful for this practice and what it has done for me. Now I want to share it with the world and help others find the same peace and happiness that I have found. Yoga is for everyone and anyone can do it. Yoga can be done anywhere, all you need is your body, a mat and some time. It is never too late to start yogic practice, so go ahead and give it a try! Next year, I plan to take ULU Yoga’s 200hr Online Yoga Teacher Training course, and I’ll be sure to keep you all posted. As a beginner, my yoga journey has only started, but I’m really excited to see where it leads.
