“Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections” – John Legend
As a Fitness Instructor & Health Coach, I watch people move and breathe on a daily basis. My favorite moment happens during challenging yoga flows, when people witness their own strength and realize that they are much stronger than they thought. They come to me exclaiming, “I HELD PLANK POSE!”
I let them know that I am challenging them and it is their decision whether they accept or gracefully bow out. People change; type A’s start to let go a little bit and the usual Child’s pose-aholics power on. Flexibility, shape & acceptance are just the beginning of why your body and yoga deserve each other.
1. Flexibility
Your body is designed to stretch and move. And once you find flexibility in your body, you’ll find a new and beautiful way to approach stressful situations. After a certain amount of yoga classes, you’ll see what happens to your body, but the real change is within the mind.
2. Shape
“They are in really good shape!” You know all those Chair poses aren’t for nothing! For a quick and challenging yoga workout, I incorporate: planks, Chaturangas, High Lunge holds and twists, and of course, Boat pose with twists.
Challenge your strength. When poses become too much, find the inner strength to reveal the inner goddess. If it’s not your body, maybe it’s your mind that needs the shaping up. Try saying this a few times a week: “I will no longer let the past create my future.”
3. Acceptance
People come to yoga for many different reasons. For me, it was nursing a break-up. I didn’t realize that yoga would change my body, mind and life.
Have you ever thought you weren’t good enough? Yoga helps you accept who you are and what stage of life you are in. Of course there are days when even a yoga class can’t boost your mood, but I dare you to fight the good feelings that bubble up during class.
In yoga, you can be whomever you want, you can rest when needed or you can power up and hold longer. Accept the moment, accept the breath and accept that you are where you are supposed to be at this exact moment.
