Mind Body & Soul Activities
Beginners Yoga |Every story has a beginning
Looking forward to trying new activities and to improving overall life, Lean Lifestyle boarded the yoga train recently. Unfamiliar with yoga, however hoping to enjoy the numerous benefits that yoga supposedly brings to a person’s health and balance, we (Cavita & Antoine) challenged ourselves to a full week of morning yoga. We are sharing is this story of our challenge hoping to inspire you to take the step onto the yoga mat.
First morning. Eyelids are heavy. Yawns are frequent. Still asleep, both Cavita & Antoine are still wondering why we actually put the alarm clock 30 minutes earlier than usual. Following a beginner’s video on yoga through YouTube in the comfort of our home, we began the yoga discovery. Roughly 20 minutes later, having done our best in breathing with our eyes close, finding the alignment of the head of heart and heart over the pelvis. We come into the moment with body awareness, mind awareness (noticing where our thoughts are) with nice long inhale and exhale. We are certainly awake and centered with a sense of softness, ease, and calmness. This is definitely a benefit from it. Yoga is good to wake up the mind, body, and soul!
Second morning. A bit of excitement is in the air to discover how our bodies will react to that day’s session. It’s important to remember as we come to the mat to focus on breathing and alignment. The correct pose will come in time as the body develops more flexibility and strength. Think of this period of discovery as your foundation phase. If you can’t touch your toes (like us currently) that’s OK, it will come the more you practice. The goal here is to make a connection with your body and the earth, become aware and build focus on breathing and alignment. In doing this, strength and flexibility will develop. Yoga can be intense and beginners should stick to beginners’ positions and enjoy the journey of flowing into the weird looking poses. Remember that we come to the mat to have an experience so don’t force the pose do what feels right and natural.
The fifth and final morning of the challenge arrived. We felt empowered and motivated to begin the day with our yoga routine. There is a sense of calmness and centering ones self with ones energy. The focus on breathing and not having the mind wonder around becomes easier, still not perfect but easier to center and focus on the inhale and the exhale.
By the third morning, we already have an idea of the routine. This is good because now we are no longer trying to look at the screen and follow along; we can close our eyes, listen to the background music and use our ears to follow instructions. At the end of this session we felt awake and a bit more relaxed than at the beginning. Yoga is relaxing, especially those deep breaths in and out.
It’s the fourth morning and we notice, as the positions become more of a routine we know and are able to connect with ourselves easier. Finding our balance, getting in touch with what feels good: maybe that’s wiggling your fingertips on a stretch or rocking back and forward on a twist. Remember not to force yourself into a pose; the perfect pose will come as the body builds strength and flexibility. Patience is the mother of a good yogi that will further explore her/his inner-self while learning new poses.
All in all, this small challenge opened our minds and reminded us of these simple truths: it is good to be alive! Worry not about the things you cannot control, Live and Let Go!
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Fear not; this will not be our last article on yoga as Lean Lifestyle continues on the Yogi path, we will share our Yoga discoveries and journey.
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Namaste!