A Mind and Body Workout
It was a snowy Tuesday evening as I was walking through campus. It’s almost spring, so I was happily walking while the sun was still up, but it just beginning to set around six o’clock. I was on my way to the gym to take my first yoga class. The only time I have done a yoga class was a few years ago in high school in my P.E. class, so I was a little uneasy. I really enjoyed it when I tried yoga, and I thought I would give it another try. I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with some of the other people there that are probably regulars. But, I was happy to learn that there were many people there that are new to yoga as well. It was a very calming environment to be in and I really enjoyed the peaceful learning and exercise environment. I think that yoga is extremely important for one to maintain a healthy mind and a healthy body. I learned this from the instructor from the yoga class I took, Josie.
Josie, had told the class at the beginning that we needed to clear our head of all thoughts and emotions, and to simply focus on going through each of the poses and the feeling of every muscle in our body working and becoming stronger. I didn’t think clearing my head would be as easy as it sounds, just because I am the type of person to constantly be thinking about something. Once Josie started teaching, everyone got quiet as peaceful music started to play. This made it much easier for me to focus on myself and my body. Surprisingly, I soon felt the feeling of only myself being in the room. I was so focused on the what I was doing physically, that I kind of zoned out for a little while. There was a rush of clarity that rushed over me when we had wrapped up the class.
I was very curious as to what yoga does to your mind and body and the different kinds of poses that are involved. I was nervous to attend the yoga class without much of any background and starter information, so I researched a little bit about it before going. “Yoga originated in ancient India as a form of religious practice, but now it is known as a form of exercise, meditation, or even lifestyleincludes breath control, simple meditation, and working through different bodily postures and is widely practiced for health and relaxation” (Beliefnet). I didn’t think that I would feel as relaxed as I would, I thought it would be more of a workout that had my whole body feeling tired. It was challenging, but the environment that I was in and having it be kind of a relaxing workout, had me feeling empowered and at peace.
Before taking this yoga class, I knew that it is not just a physical practice but also a spiritual practice. I didn’t really know what it means at first or how it can be one. But after researching and experiencing it for myself, I understand what people mean. You really get in touch with yourself while doing yoga. It can be a great thing to do when you wake up to get your body ready for the day. You can even do it before bed to calm your mind and your body down. There are so many different poses that one executes that can do all kinds of different things for your mind and body. For example, a great yoga pose that will wake you up in the morning is called, Eye of the Needle. For this pose, you lay on your back and bring one knee into your chest at a time and hold it for twenty seconds or so while slowly breathe in. You should feel your hips opening and your muscles expanding. A pose to help you relax and go to sleep is called, Corpse Pose. This pose is a great way to help slip into a deep sleep. For this pose, you simply lay on your back with your hands facing upwards. “This pose is a practice of gradually relaxing one pose at a time, one muscle at a time and one thought” (Yoga Journal). I have found that it helps me fall asleep especially listening to quiet music like, nature sounds. I have used this pose multiple times while I go to bed because it helps me fall asleep very quickly which is amazing because I usually take a long time to get myself to fall asleep.
Speaking of how yoga can affect the mind, I have heard prior to taking a yoga class that yoga can help with several mental illnesses which I thought was very interesting. “According to the Harvard Mental Health Letter,recent studies suggest that, yoga can reduce the impact of stress, help with anxiety and depression, be a self-soothing technique similar to meditation, relaxation, and exercise, and improve energy” (Healthline). Many people use yoga therapy to manage mental and emotional problems, such as stress, anxiety, or depression, conditions and disorders, and overall health and well-being. A study done by the American Psychological Association, has shown that “the more participants that attended a yoga class, the lower their depressive symptoms are” (American Psychological Association). From my own experience, I have noticed that yoga is especially helpful with attention disorders like ADHD. Yoga helps you focus on your mind and body and since the practice itself requires such immense focus and concentration to do it the correct way and to get the results you want. Yoga helps you focus on one thing and brings a deeper awareness to the mind which can be very relaxing. Yoga not only helps your mind, but also helps your body physically.
Yoga helps physically with things such as ongoing low back pain, chronic, or long-term pain. It can also help keep your heart healthy. “Yoga boosts heart rate and blood circulation since you are keeping your body active” (Active). Yoga is the perfect workout if you find going to the gym boring, difficult, or just can’t find the time or the money for it in general.
It is very important to know what to do after a yoga workout and know how to fuel not just your mind, but also your body. “It is essential that you drinka large amount of icy cold water immediately after class. If not, you may become nauseated or develop a stomach ache” (It’s Yoga). Some good things to eat after a yoga class would be a light meal preferably made up of fruits and veggies. After an intense yoga practice, the body is extremely sensitive and purified of digestive toxins and waste. Suddenly dumping a large amount of heavy food into your body can shock the digestive system and overload the circulation system. Knowing how to feed and fuel your body afterwardsis just as important as the workout itself.
Being sore is obviously normal after any kind of workout and I had experienced a different kind of soreness firsthand. I am usually familiar with doing high intensity work outs as opposed to stretching and holding a position for a long period time, so I wasn’t expecting to be that sore. The next morning, I woke up with my entire body extremely sore. It wasn’t just in one place either, and I had felt it in muscles I have never felt soreness from before. However, localized acute sharp pain is not caused by soreness and may be due to an old injury or an injury developed during class.
I am very glad I got into yoga again. I now want to include it into my weekly or even daily schedule. I did try it recently when I was trying to go to sleep. It is extremely healthy for your mind and body and I have learned so much about it and even more about myself. Yoga is more than just a workout to keep you lean and fit, it is a way of calming your body and going into a state of meditation.
