Yoga can be intimidating if you’ve never tried it before, especially if you’re a little anxious about your body. But who could blame you? If social media is anything to go by, you can only do yoga if you’re young, skinny and donning Lululemon. But this couldn’t be further from what yoga is supposed to be about.
If you’ve decided that you need self-care in your schedule each day and yoga isn’t on your list yet, these genuine benefits of this ancient practice could get you onto the matt.
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Break Cycles of Destructive Behaviours
If you’ve attempted to give up a vice, you’ll know how hard it can be to break habits. Many people make the mistake of focusing their attention on the behavior itself, rather than understanding that addictive behavior is often a symptom of a more profound imbalance in another area of your life. These imbalances could be linked to stress and anxiety. If you’re trying to kick a bad habit, yoga could help you find the calm and focus you need to identify the cause of your imbalances and start to correct them. You’ll develop an awareness of the ways that your body and mind interact to generate your impulses, meaning you’ll be more likely to notice when you’re acting impulsively. Learning to read the signals your body is sending is a great way to boost your ability to avoid things that cause you harm.
Shift Your Focus Away From Beauty
Despite what our youth-obsessed culture may be telling us, the motivation to do yoga should not be in order to look more attractive in selfies. Yoga is not about weight loss at all, but it can help you understand the more intricate and profound ways that your body composition impacts your overall mental and physical health. This shift away from weight and other culture-driven beauty standards can be a really profound experience for senior women, who often have the experience of feeling overlooked by society.
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Fix Your Posture
In yoga, you’ll learn to attend closely to the experience of being in your body. The closer attention you pay to how your body feels when you’re in various postures—especially when you hold them for a few long breaths—the more you’re able to anticipate what would make your practice feel more sustainable and comfortable. Once you start to develop a sensitivity to the way your body feels while you’re practicing yoga, you naturally notice how you’re standing, sitting or carrying yourself in your everyday life. This focus on posture and alignment has profound health benefits, especially when it comes to aging, and can greatly enhance your self-esteem.
Yoga should be accessible for everyone to try, but it’s understandable that many people get nervous the first time. These real benefits could help you get over your inhibitions.
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