Yoga
The practice of yoga could be traced back to ancient Indian civilization, where it was used for spiritual and meditation. Yoga helps in relaxation, fitness, stress-relief, and energizing practice. I have learned that it multiple benefits upon the body and mind, such as achieving a great posture, increasing blood flow, improvement in mood, and other numerous benefits. Yoga especially releases tension accumulated from one’s day to day hustles. Additionally, it helps achieve peace of mind from the profound stress we experience in life. The scope of this paper will be on the intention I chose for my yoga class, the kind of asana I used, the breath practice I decided, and the meditation I practiced.
I chose a ‘relax’ intention for my yoga practice in class. One reason for this was that I study for extremely long hours for my examinations. Sometimes I will go at it for as much as six hours straight. The long period leaves my neck stiff, and my back develops some pain. I’m also under constant pressure, and it gets to me, leading me to acquire anxiety and tension, which I need to release. Another reason is that sometimes I get sleep deprived due to various factors, such as having too many thoughts in my head. I have people to impress with my excellence and goals I want to achieve in life. Sometimes it affects my sleep, and I need the relaxing poses to calm me down and soothe me to sleep.
I chose a longer asana practice for my yoga class. The shorter version of the asana pose does not contain standing poses, which I need to strengthen my spine. The gentle backbend helps strengthen my hip flexors while simultaneously opening up my chest for a gasp of fresh oxygen. I hold a lot of tension in my shoulders, which comes from spending long hours facing down my laptop. The Maypole’s Twist also helps clear my airways from the accumulated toxins from polluted air. I also have the forward bends to strengthen my hips and spine, in addition to helping me gain some flexibility. Forward bends also help me visualize and calm me down, relieving me from unnecessary stress and anxiety. The standing twists are a bonus for my spine to keep it more robust for longer.
I use belly breathing for my yoga practice. Sleep disorders were a thing of the norm back when I didn’t practice yoga. Through belly breathing, I am now able to sleep better and for longer hours. Belly breathing also helps relieve any tension I have, especially when I exhale after a long period of holding my breath. It leaves me calm and relaxed, with no worry in the world. My body shifts from the ‘stress response’ or fight or flight mode, to ‘relaxation mode’ where my nervous system feels balanced. It also helps clear my airways, and I noticed an improvement in my respiratory movement with my adoption of belly breathing. Belly breathing additionally, helps maintain a good posture since it strengthens my erector muscles. Subsequently, if I am bloated or have stomach cramps, I noticed that belly breathing is the perfect remedy.
The meditation exercises I use mostly are visualization, noting my breath, and walking meditation. I mostly use visualization when I have some anxiety-triggering events coming up. It helps me get in touch with myself and to convince myself that I will get through it successfully. Breathing in and out helps relieve me of stress and tension, and especially when someone has me annoyed, it helps calm me down. Noting my breath sequences calms my nervous system and eases me up. Walking meditation helps me think deeply about particular issues. I may hit a predicament on a project, worried about the outcome of some action, or maybe thinking of how to solve a specific problem. When I practice walking meditation, it helps me address these concerns.
Yoga class is one of the best experiences in my life. I never thought there was a solution to back pain, a non-medically prescribed way of ease of tension, and a mood-changing method readily available out there. The introduction of yoga into my life has changed the way I think of myself, how I interact with people, and how I do things. I am happier and get less aggravated. I also breathe clearer, and I am more flexible. My cortisol levels are also at an all-time low, and nowadays, I get to sleep soundly throughout the night. If people in the world embraced yoga, the world would undoubtedly be a better and happier place to live.