I started Yoga quite late in life. Having always been fluid in terms of the timing of personal and domestic tasks on my schedule and also believing that habits are just mechanical coercions of the brain, I needed to find out why was I doing Yoga and how was it important to me, if I wanted to sustain my newly commenced practice. This need was rooted in my verified and validated viewpoint that once the ‘why’ of ‘what’ you do is sorted, the how, when, where and who find a way of getting worked out.
Hence, here was my moot question to myself during my practice every morning — Why do I do Yoga?
And I found the responses tumbling out of a deep recess of body intelligence every time my physical being was engaged in asanas and feeling rewarded by the sweet aches of the stretches and the soothing relief of counter stretches.
I don’t do Yoga to manage my weight.
I do it for my holistic well being.
And this is how —
Yoga adds to my routine and gives me a meaningful morning ritual, giving a springboard start to my day.
Yoga keeps me physically fit and gives enhanced stamina. I find myself doing more without feeling exhausted or tired.
Yoga makes me stretch my muscles, making them stronger and my body flexible, supple and stable.
Yoga helps me have stronger bones as bones that take load become stronger and have reduced chances of fracture.
Yoga aids in keeping my knee cap in place by strengthening my quadriceps and hamstrings.
Yoga helps me have a stronger back, thus helping me hold myself up straight, leading to better posture and body image.
Yoga keeps me emotionally fit as menopause is closing in on me and I get ready to cross over to the other side with a sense of well being and accountability for myself.
Yoga assists me to be more aware of my movements, stay balanced and coordinated and avoid falls. It helps me counter osteoporosis in a body which is making less oestrogen and having lowered bone mass density (BMD).
Yoga helps in keeping my body toned and generally looking better as an add-on gift.
Yoga gives me the motivation to eat timely, healthy, mindfully and only as much as my body requires.
Yoga helps me fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed. By itself, it gives me the satisfaction of a day spent well.
Pranayaam at the end of Yogasanas allows to become aware of my breathing, slow it down and connect with my body. I am able to deal with tormenting and complex emotions and still find myself smiling.
Meditation facilitates looking inwards, clearing my mind and commencing the day with a fresh and positive outlook.
Yoga silences the inner chatter to anchor me in spirituality — that I am but a soul in this body, on a journey, and only an instrument of a greater scheme.
What I feel inside is magnificent.
What I look on the outside seems to fade into insignificance.
