In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I’d set aside my food blabber for a moment and talk about being thankful. Besides being thankful for my health, great family and friends, and vegan chocolate cake, I’m also super thankful for my yoga practice and all that it brings to my life. So, with the Thanksgiving holiday only a few days away, here’s my list of four reasons I’m thankful for yoga.
4. My arms are ripped
I’ve always lifted weights and been physically active, but ever since I upped my yoga practice to 4-6 days a week, my arms have gotten really toned. I’m talking never this toned before ever, even when I was a power lifter in junior high, and I was lifting serious weight then. I’m stoked!
3. A good night’s sleep no longer eludes me
Since I’ve been practicing on a very regular basis, I fall asleep quickly and stay asleep, which was always a problem for me before. You know what I’m talking about; those nights where you wake up at 2AM and all of a sudden your mind is bombarded with thoughts like how your boss may have overheard you call him a dumbass, rendering your efforts to fall back to sleep completely and utterly futile. Not anymore! I sleep straight through the night.
2. My mind is calm (for the most part)
I’m just a naturally anxious person. Give me something to do, and I’ll think of each and every way it could go wrong, and then take every measure necessary to make sure each of those scenarios doesn’t occur. What can I say, I’m a little crazy, but compared to a couple of years ago when I was only practicing yoga once a week, I’m significantly calmer, more grounded, and focused (insert sigh of relief here).
1. I’m more compassionate
In my opinion, this is the most significant reason I’m thankful for my yoga practice. Yoga has completely changed my view on the world and how I impact it. Whether it’s not eating animal products or composting food scraps, I’m more thoughtful about the world, other beings around me, and how my actions affect them.
Why are you thankful for your yoga practice?
