Yoga and Me

Finally, the day had come. Doing yoga regularly was one of my to-dos for the year 2020. But it took me 6 months to push myself to consider my physical fitness a priority. Every day I will either just sit in a place, attend classes or work on Laptop/mobile. I wasn’t doing any physical work or exercise. So last month I decided to play badminton every day. My sister and I played badminton every evening because of which I could get some physical exercise. But now I am not able to play outdoors, as it rains all the time (especially in the evening). So to keep my body and mind fit/active, I decided to do yoga.

The word 'Yoga' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'Yuj', meaning 'to join' or 'to unite'. As per Yogic scriptures, the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Cosmic Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body, Man & Nature. It means to take a break from this regular lifecycle, look around and within ourselves and be one with the surroundings. It has numerous benefits including physical, mental, and spiritual growth and development. While performing yoga we are not punishing our body, instead, we are connecting our body and mind with each other.

Usually, I will be lethargic in the morning, but yesterday before going to bed I promised myself that I will wake up before 7 AM and start doing yoga. That energy had driven me today, I got up before 7 AM. Ultimately, I gave it a try. I practised yoga for 15 minutes and performed some asanas and breathing exercises. I knew only a few asanas. So I started with Surya Namaskar followed by Sarvangasana, because as the name suggests it might help all parts of the body and ended with some Pranayama.

The fresh morning breeze filled my body with enthusiasm and gave me the satisfaction of keeping up with my promise. I could sense the positivity within me after doing yoga just for just 15 minutes. I got fully energized and motivated to conquer the day.

Starting new practices is easy, but continuing the same takes lots of effort. So I spoke to my mentor (who practices yoga regularly) and shared my experience. She was delighted to hear this and gave me a few tips to improve. I would like to highlight a few of them here.

• You can do yoga for any duration, at any time of the day. There is no specific time. But, there should be at least 2.30 to 3hrs of gap between having food and practising yoga.

• You can start with lil bit of awareness meditation (starters), then some asanas, Surya namaskar and Shavasana (main course), and last pranayama (dessert).

• Once your experience is pleasant and there is a sense of positivity you will start doing it regularly. So keep going, this is a good start. Continue it, but don't break the streak.

Now, I have chosen yoga as my new hobby and I want to make it a habit by practising it regularly with persistence. I will continue doing yoga every single day and get healthier both physically and mentally.

You too can start your journey towards a healthier and happier life now by practising some kind of physical exercise.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience. Feedbacks are always welcome.

Thank you,