THINGS I'VE LEARNT FROM YOGA-ING
- Sophie Elgar
- May 13, 2017
- 4 min read
As you'll know if you've followed my blog for a while, last year I really got into yoga and have been practicing it on an almost daily basis for about 7-8 months now (there have been some periods when it hasn't been every single day). I feel like I've learnt a lot about what yoga is really for, how it helps and why so many people recommend it! I know I used to be a bit skeptical about yoga as I thought it was just going to involve sitting in the same spot meditating and maybe stretching your leg every now and then, but there is so much more to it.
1. It really helps to get you toned. I had no idea how hard yoga can be in terms of working out those muscles, but certainly in the first month or so I noticed a huge difference in muscle tone and the overall appearance in my body. I'm not saying I now have six-pack abs or anything, but I continue to see improvements when I practice regularly, and there are loads of videos out there that you can use to target specific areas if this is what you'd like to do. If you're wanting to get toned up, combine yoga with 1-2 more intense HIIT workouts a week and you will definitely see a difference.
2. It's not as much about getting into the pose, as it is about what feels good for you. Obviously you need to make sure you're not putting unnecessary strain on joints or standing in a way that could be detrimental, but as good old Adriene from the fave 'Yoga with Adriene' says, you have to 'Find What Feels Good'. Of course, when you first start it's likely that a lot of it might not feel amazing because you need your body and your muscles to get more used to getting into certain postures, but if you find a particular move really uncomfortable then just don't do it. If you do what feels good both inside and out you're much more likely to want to keep doing it.
3. The above being said, you'll want to start trying to master those tricky yoga poses that you see all over Instagram. Never in a million years did I think I'd be giving it my best to get in to the 'Crow' pose (it's not just the dog, trust me there's a whole zoo's-worth of different animal shapes to get into) but it becomes a fun little challenge to see how much you improve by trying out some of the trickier ones. I've managed to hold a crow (probably not a very good one, hunched over like a turtle or something) for about a second before falling, but, hey, it's more than I was able to do when I first started.
4. It's so much more than stretching. It's a workout, it's a balancing practice, it's about helping you to feel good from the inside out. It feels amazing to have a good stretch, especially after a long day at work or maybe you've had a bad sleep and need to work out the kinks, getting on the mat and doing a nice soothing stretching routine is incredible, but you can also do a proper, sweaty workout if this is more your bag. Mix it up and do what you feel is right on the day. If you're feeling energetic and want to move then pick a flow routine, if you want to focus on what's going on internally and connect with your mind and body then there's videos out there for you.
5. You don't realise how hard it is to actually just sit up straight! Try sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, whilst keeping your back straight and heart lifted, it's harder than it looks! Again, this is something that improves over time and I've noticed a huge difference since starting. Equally, when doing a yogi-squat I'm now (just about) able to do it with my feet flat on the ground, so now I'm working on lifting my heart more and more and pushing out those legs.
If you've never given yoga a go, or if you've tried it once and got bored, I would so recommend giving it another go and committing to practicing as much as you can in a week, or a month and seeing what you think. I am by absolutely no means an expert, I have a long way to go, but it's a journey and one that I'm keen to continue on. Let me know what your thoughts are on yoga and Namaste! See below for a few of my favourite YWA videos...
Great for a sweaty workout:
Great for feeling connected and balanced:
This is just a very small selection of some of the videos I've done multiple times, there are hundreds of videos on her channel so go, explore and release your inner yogi!
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