How Has Yoga Changed Your Life?

[Tim White]

I'm coming up on my 1 year anniversary of starting yoga and I wanted to thank a few people and hopefully inspire more.

Thank you Angela in Seattle for inspiring me to try hot yoga.

I feel that I got really "lucky" with my first yoga experience since not all yoga studios are great. I was guided to East Wind Yoga — near Sacramento and met the owner, Scott Emerich on my first day. I also feel fortunate that Scott taught my first class since he's such a great teacher and person. Since then Scott has become a good friend and has helped me more than I can say.

I think most people come to yoga for the physical benefits, but if you are open to it, the psychological benefits are just as great, if not more. Hot yoga has made my mind and body much stronger.

In no particular order:

- I just feel better overall and have more of a quiet confidence
- Yoga makes me want to eat healthier. I'm still working on this, but am inspired to keep going.
- I've done some things physically in yoga that I didn't think I could do.
- I care about the environment and where my food comes from whereas before I never thought about it much.
- My relationships with my kids is amazingly better. They tell me that I have no anger in me. Trust me, your kids know what's up, even if you don't.
- I lost the major ill feelings I had for my ex-wife and actually realized that it was my own issues. I just spent the week watching our kids at HER house if that tells you where we are. Previously, this would have NEVER happened.
- I've made a lot of new, healthy yoga friends who are very supportive
- I climbed a freakin mountain earlier this year (okay, it was a "hike", but it felt more like scaling Mt. Everest).
- I hit the golf ball 10-15 yards farther
- I sleep much better (especially after back-to-back yoga classes lol)
- I've been introduced to some AMAZING music (Check out Krishna Das | LOOK & LISTEN as an example)

I haven't gone to yoga as much in these past 6 months as the first 6, but look forward to getting back on track.

If you're looking to improve your body and mind, find a good studio and instructor in your area. I've been to several since starting out at East Wind and I wouldn't go back to a few. If the one's that weren't so great were my first experience, I probably wouldn't have continued. If your first experience isn't great, keep trying! Hopefully you will get "lucky"!

How has yoga changed your life?

-Tim

[reflections]

I do Iyengar.

Benefits for me:

- are a sense of stillness in my body and mind
-an almost effortless alignment of my posture
- a lengthening of my body
- breathing has become deeper and longer

probably more too, but that's just off the top of my head.

[jbsmith]

Two main benefits for me...

1. More control over my emotions - able to live more in the present moment instead of thinking about the past or future.

2. Improvements in digestion - before yoga and meditation I would down an entire bottle of antacids every 2-3 weeks, this went on for 20-years, haven't taken a single antacid in going on 7-years now.


Jeff

[Holistic Star]

ooopps I misread this,.

I thought the title was "How has Yoda changed your life."

I was going to answer "Do or do not, there is no try."


Sorry for derailing this. Do carry on.


ps will look into hot yoga too.

[Honeywith4bees]

Actually, one of my Yoga teachers like to talk in a Yoda voice! so you didn't derail the thread at all!

I practice Anusara Yoga and have been for close to two years now. I have problems with Seasonal Depression but ALWAYS feel better after I attend class. I do feel more calm and balanced too after practicing. If I had my wish, I could attend class three or four times a week, but I am grateful for the once or twice I get.

[Tim White]

@Holistic Star - That was really funny! Thanks for the election day laugh!