More and more people around the world are developing a habit of practicing yoga, but most Asians have misconceptions about yoga – they think it’s just a form of exercise, not suitable for people who are not flexible enough, and only for women to participate in…
Yoga is popular because many people believe it is a form of exercise, and some are attracted to it because it presents an opportunity to “check-in” and show off their perfect body shape. If you really think that’s all there is to it, then you’ve missed out on a lot of the beauty that yoga can offer you.
In fact, people who practice yoga include both men and women, young and old. Of course, there are more women who practice regularly.
Why do women practice yoga more persistently?
If you have a healthy lifestyle, you may have heard that anger is hidden in the uterus, stress is hidden in the shoulders, depression is hidden in the breasts, grievances are hidden in the stomach, emotional stress is hidden in the back, and negative energy will flow down to the legs, so women who practice regularly discover the benefits of yoga and are better able to apply yoga philosophy to their daily lives. Regular practice enables us to be calm and relaxed.
Repetition of the posture is the same, but the state of mind is different.
As a yoga instructor, before I started practicing yoga, I was a well-known “impatient person”. My work kept me in a high-pressure state for a long time, and as a result, I often had gastrointestinal problems. I remember when I decided to try a class for fun, I went with a friend, but in the end, only I persisted, and now it’s been five years! It seems that only during yoga practice can I quiet my mind. Even if I don’t have friends to accompany me, it’s okay because in this space, everyone is doing their own thing; everyone’s body proportions and daily state are different, so there’s no need to compare.
Slowly, my gastrointestinal problems were healed without medication, which made me more enthusiastic about learning everything about yoga. For me, yoga is not just a collection of postures, but also a philosophy of life and thinking.
Stepping on the yoga mat changes your mindset.
During these times of practicing yoga, I gradually began to have less desire for material things; my clothing choices were based on comfort and ease, and I believe that confident and strong people, no matter how casually dressed, are attractive. I no longer obsess over results and no longer force myself to be perfect in everything. Yoga has taught me that enjoying the process is the most important thing. The more you deliberately pursue something, the less likely you are to achieve it, so let everything go with the flow.
Stiffness is actually a blessing!
I want to clarify that yoga is not unsuitable for people who are physically stiff. People who are flexible do not necessarily have strength; on the contrary, people who are physically stiff are more powerful and more likely to develop flexibility. Also, people who are physically stiff enjoy the practice longer. People who are flexible quickly lose sensation, so people who are physically stiff should practice yoga more!
Practicing yoga is a lifetime commitment, there is no end, and there are no shortcuts.
If you are also a yoga practitioner, even if you have mastered all the postures, it does not mean that you have finished your practice, because practice is a lifetime commitment, and yoga is not just about posture practice. The ancient “Yoga Sutras” recorded the “Eight Limbs of Yoga,” which are the eight stages of practicing yoga.
Yama: self-discipline
Niyama: self-study
Asana: posture
Pranayama: breath control
Pratyahara: sense withdrawal
Dharana: concentration
Dhyana: meditation
Samadhi: enlightenment
How much do you know about the “Eight Limbs of Yoga”?
I’ll leave it there for now, go practice, and we’ll break it down further next time!
Image source: the author of the article.