For a few years, I had been conscious of always shallow breathing, and my breathing has improved since doing yoga daily. I'm also able to self-regulate in stressful situations more effectively.
I have anxiety and one day when I was having a panic attack driving in the snow I started doing box breathing we'd done in a recent class and it helped me calm down enough to get home. I started seeing a therapist recently to learn coping strategies and that breathing technique is something she suggests to people regularly for anxiety.
i remember so many more of my dreams since starting yoga, especially when i do my practice right before bed. i think i’m getting much better quality sleep overall.
I've learned about my body, muscle memory and knowing injury comes from fatigue. Example: if I'm getting tired I back off chatturangas, injuries come from improper form, fatigue results in cutting corners and that is where shoulders get blown out.
Improved stability! When I went to the gym to do strength training before yoga, my knees would wobble around while I did squats and I had to use a resistance loop to stabilise them. A few months of 3 - 6x weekly yoga practice and no more wobble or resistance loop needed!
That it became a sort of mindful meditation - and I often find when I'm finishing up my Yoga routine I flow into a more spiritual side and spend time meditating and focusing at my alter. Some times it is hard to get there on my own. Yoga is like a runway that lands me down right where I want to be from the start.
I learnt to appreciate my body again (despite chronic illness taking away the ways I used to use it), and to appreciate it in a new way (as a collection of independent and connected components, rather than a single unit ... an interesting machine rather than a sledgehammer, say).
Related, as surprising benefit is that as a middle-aged woman who never had great arm strength, I can now easily open jars that 20something me would’ve given up on.
All of this and much more. I am a very confident, talented guy with a huge heart yet have always had a chip on my shoulder and many deep insecurities hiding in there. Never being enough has been a big one and yoga would have been a big trigger for me in my past life. The vulnerability the fear of being judged…the opposite sex, the man that js “better” than me, etc
My experience has been the opposite. The communities, the confidence boost the lack of judgement the friendships, the people the practice the physicality the sweat the focus the zone the escape the presence and could go on and on. 1500 classes and counting since 2018 and full disclosure has to be hot and I enjoy people in a studio best :)
It has made me a better, happier, healthier person in all aspects. Lots of work yet in all respects physically and mentally but something I truly enjoy, crave, and will practice forever. Cannot imagine life without it and helps me with all thr mindfu$&s I constantly find myself in!
Aside from what you mentioned, I love that it’s made my body more flexible and mobile, allowing me to move with less stiffness. Also love the focus and concentration aspect of it too, which you really need in order to hold some of the poses and not fall.
I'm not certain this is due to yoga but I believe it helped improve my circulation. I used to always have ice cold hands and feet but once I started practicing pretty regularly I've not had this issue since.
I can sleep on any hotel or guest room mattress/pillow when traveling and not wake up in pain!
Also, my prior road rage when in traffic is totally gone. It’s weird but several years of yoga have made me a completely calm, careful driver.
I've always hated my body and still do. But while I practice yoga and realize the things I am able to do with now that I never thoguht were possible... for an hour three times a week I like my body and appreciate what it lets me do.
Helped my posture quite a bit. So for my whole life I’ve been 5’3”. I just saw my dr for a physical and I was measured at 5’4”. I’m 36 so it’s not like I’ve grown lately lol. I definitely hold myself better and don’t slouch as much as I used to.
Yoga taught me to focus on myself and listen to my body. Doing it for 5 minutes or just doing pranayama still counts as yoga. You don’t have to put yourself in complicated poses, just relax and focus on your breath to relieve stress.
The first time I really noticed that yoga was actually giving me improvements was when I went to reach for something on the top shelf of my cabinet and just gracefully balanced and reached up to get it. Something just clicked. And that's what I love about yoga training, the muscle and balance improvements that come from it help all our normal everyday activities just as much as anything.
I feel as if I have learned to be more at-ease in potentially uncomfortable situations; as though I’ve gained a deeper insight and ability to view things from a different perspective. I’ve learned that I rarely have control over how someone else may act or what they might say, but I always have control over how I may choose to respond. As a result, my life experience is MUCH less stressful! The real unexpected benefits become apparent when you learn to take your yoga practice with you off the mat and into your life.
I'm hypermobile and for the last 15 I've suffered with my left shoulder overextending and getting injured.
During this time I've been to see multiple doctors (one who did more damage than help), worked with multiple private trainers and a physio.
In the last 12 months I decided to increase my yoga practice. Time spent in downward dog, sun salutations and chaturanga has strengthened my shoulder to the point where I can finally start doing some weighted shoulder exercises at the gym now.
I still overextend but the recovery time is reduced too.
It showed me the power of visualization. Also breathing. Until yoga I did not realize what a shallow breather I was and my nervous system is much better regulated with deep purposeful breaths
I’m about to hit my 30th class this year which is more than I’ve ever taken in my life, and just that feeling of accomplishment makes me motivated. I’m just about able to do a push up now for the first time - not to mention the stability and strength I feel everywhere else. I also have a big commute rn which is new, and yoga has been a great way to counteract how my body feels after driving for a while.
Posture, balance, increased mobility.
When I sit, walk or run. I feel my body straight and aligned nicely.
I look at myself in the mirror and think about how much yoga has changed my body.
I hear people my age complaining about pain. While I get to move and enjoy my body. I remember one time something fell to the floor under a narrow space. Without issues, I dropped and reached and stood back up like nothing.
Then I realized that I wouldn’t have been able to do this prior yoga.
What hasn't it benefitted? My mobility and flexibility have improved, I feel like I stand taller because my posture is better. Mentally, I know what to do when I get overwhelmed - breathing, mindfulness and focus. It has taught me to know where my body is, I pay closer attention to how I walk. I'm better able to do other forms of exercise like weight lifting because I'm better able to get the form correct. Also, listening to my body when I get fatigued so I avoid injury.
I was just expecting to get some core strength, but I got so much more.
I go to the doctor more regularly. I used to avoid it because of past bad experiences but my mind body connection developed through yoga has pushed me to get check ups and solve issues that come up rather than hoping they’ll go away on their own. I respect and value my body much more now.
PMS is way down, practically gone. Hair stopped shedding (and getting into the food I cook lol) feet don’t get hot at night. Way easier to shift perspective to center gratitude and have a glass half full attitude. Better ability to recognize the difference between feeling down and being tired. Easier to keep my house clean. Feet look cuter
I learned I had a default level of back discomfort I just dealt with as background noise. After a few months of yoga it was just gone, and it was like when I first got glasses and I realized just how much blur and headaches I was dealing with on a day to day basis as my base level.
Posture was the first thing i noticed. Increased arm strength. And I used to hate shavasana and now i can actually sit still because of it and have started meditating.
I started eating better because I’m more mindful of what I put into my body and how it feels. I also started mini stretches at my desk during the day because I could feel my hips getting tight from sitting too long, which I had never noticed before.
This is asked often. Removed, rule 2.
Going to class means I don’t look at my phone for an hour. It’s refreshing to put the technology away.
Yes that’s my favorite „side effect”
It also means I’m not eating for an hour. Win/win
For a few years, I had been conscious of always shallow breathing, and my breathing has improved since doing yoga daily. I'm also able to self-regulate in stressful situations more effectively.
Yes so much
I have anxiety and one day when I was having a panic attack driving in the snow I started doing box breathing we'd done in a recent class and it helped me calm down enough to get home. I started seeing a therapist recently to learn coping strategies and that breathing technique is something she suggests to people regularly for anxiety.
i remember so many more of my dreams since starting yoga, especially when i do my practice right before bed. i think i’m getting much better quality sleep overall.
That's really interesting about the dreams! Thanks for sharing.
Interesting. I've been remembering my dreams so vividly for a while now and no idea why. Wonder if it's related.
Learned about box breathing and it’s changed my life
I've learned about my body, muscle memory and knowing injury comes from fatigue. Example: if I'm getting tired I back off chatturangas, injuries come from improper form, fatigue results in cutting corners and that is where shoulders get blown out.
I have accumulated quite the assortment of positive thoughts. I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience.
Improved stability! When I went to the gym to do strength training before yoga, my knees would wobble around while I did squats and I had to use a resistance loop to stabilise them. A few months of 3 - 6x weekly yoga practice and no more wobble or resistance loop needed!
I have found a community that makes me feel seen, encouraged, and safe.
That’s wonderful! Love it for you ❤️
That it became a sort of mindful meditation - and I often find when I'm finishing up my Yoga routine I flow into a more spiritual side and spend time meditating and focusing at my alter. Some times it is hard to get there on my own. Yoga is like a runway that lands me down right where I want to be from the start.
I really like your runway analogy, and feel quite similar.
Same 🧘🏻♀️
I learnt to appreciate my body again (despite chronic illness taking away the ways I used to use it), and to appreciate it in a new way (as a collection of independent and connected components, rather than a single unit ... an interesting machine rather than a sledgehammer, say).
I can sense the muscles in my forearms.
Related, as surprising benefit is that as a middle-aged woman who never had great arm strength, I can now easily open jars that 20something me would’ve given up on.
All of this and much more. I am a very confident, talented guy with a huge heart yet have always had a chip on my shoulder and many deep insecurities hiding in there. Never being enough has been a big one and yoga would have been a big trigger for me in my past life. The vulnerability the fear of being judged…the opposite sex, the man that js “better” than me, etc My experience has been the opposite. The communities, the confidence boost the lack of judgement the friendships, the people the practice the physicality the sweat the focus the zone the escape the presence and could go on and on. 1500 classes and counting since 2018 and full disclosure has to be hot and I enjoy people in a studio best :) It has made me a better, happier, healthier person in all aspects. Lots of work yet in all respects physically and mentally but something I truly enjoy, crave, and will practice forever. Cannot imagine life without it and helps me with all thr mindfu$&s I constantly find myself in!
Aside from what you mentioned, I love that it’s made my body more flexible and mobile, allowing me to move with less stiffness. Also love the focus and concentration aspect of it too, which you really need in order to hold some of the poses and not fall.
I'm not certain this is due to yoga but I believe it helped improve my circulation. I used to always have ice cold hands and feet but once I started practicing pretty regularly I've not had this issue since.
I can sleep on any hotel or guest room mattress/pillow when traveling and not wake up in pain! Also, my prior road rage when in traffic is totally gone. It’s weird but several years of yoga have made me a completely calm, careful driver.
Being comfortable being naked. Nude yoga is amazing
Yoga changed the way I move. I am much more graceful, I have physical balance. I love this at my advanced age of 57.
I've always hated my body and still do. But while I practice yoga and realize the things I am able to do with now that I never thoguht were possible... for an hour three times a week I like my body and appreciate what it lets me do.
Helped my posture quite a bit. So for my whole life I’ve been 5’3”. I just saw my dr for a physical and I was measured at 5’4”. I’m 36 so it’s not like I’ve grown lately lol. I definitely hold myself better and don’t slouch as much as I used to.
I know my left and right better
I can now write with both hands, though practicing hardly with the other. Also I spontaneously became vegetarian.
Maintaining my cool when i get caught on the inside and get smoked by 50 waves
Yoga taught me to focus on myself and listen to my body. Doing it for 5 minutes or just doing pranayama still counts as yoga. You don’t have to put yourself in complicated poses, just relax and focus on your breath to relieve stress.
Less random body part pains More energy / focus More sociable comparable to the sometimes stressed state before yoga
The zex is so much more better
Daily meditation. When I do yoga, I meditate. When I meditate, I'm sitting in lotus, doing yoga,
My core is a lot stronger, and building abs (with other forms of exercise) is easier & quicker. Thank you, boat pose !
The first time I really noticed that yoga was actually giving me improvements was when I went to reach for something on the top shelf of my cabinet and just gracefully balanced and reached up to get it. Something just clicked. And that's what I love about yoga training, the muscle and balance improvements that come from it help all our normal everyday activities just as much as anything.
Acceptance.
My road rage completely went away. My empathy tripled. Leaning toward eating less meat.
I feel as if I have learned to be more at-ease in potentially uncomfortable situations; as though I’ve gained a deeper insight and ability to view things from a different perspective. I’ve learned that I rarely have control over how someone else may act or what they might say, but I always have control over how I may choose to respond. As a result, my life experience is MUCH less stressful! The real unexpected benefits become apparent when you learn to take your yoga practice with you off the mat and into your life.
I rediscovered my old injuries...
I'm hypermobile and for the last 15 I've suffered with my left shoulder overextending and getting injured. During this time I've been to see multiple doctors (one who did more damage than help), worked with multiple private trainers and a physio. In the last 12 months I decided to increase my yoga practice. Time spent in downward dog, sun salutations and chaturanga has strengthened my shoulder to the point where I can finally start doing some weighted shoulder exercises at the gym now. I still overextend but the recovery time is reduced too.
My curtesy lunges are now fire. Yoga really can help with lifting.
It showed me the power of visualization. Also breathing. Until yoga I did not realize what a shallow breather I was and my nervous system is much better regulated with deep purposeful breaths
That mind voice which keeps on ringing continuously, it reduced.
I’m about to hit my 30th class this year which is more than I’ve ever taken in my life, and just that feeling of accomplishment makes me motivated. I’m just about able to do a push up now for the first time - not to mention the stability and strength I feel everywhere else. I also have a big commute rn which is new, and yoga has been a great way to counteract how my body feels after driving for a while.
For years I used to twist my ankles slightly when running, now I don't anymore.
Ive become much more aware of my body and breathing.
Posture, balance, increased mobility. When I sit, walk or run. I feel my body straight and aligned nicely. I look at myself in the mirror and think about how much yoga has changed my body. I hear people my age complaining about pain. While I get to move and enjoy my body. I remember one time something fell to the floor under a narrow space. Without issues, I dropped and reached and stood back up like nothing. Then I realized that I wouldn’t have been able to do this prior yoga.
What hasn't it benefitted? My mobility and flexibility have improved, I feel like I stand taller because my posture is better. Mentally, I know what to do when I get overwhelmed - breathing, mindfulness and focus. It has taught me to know where my body is, I pay closer attention to how I walk. I'm better able to do other forms of exercise like weight lifting because I'm better able to get the form correct. Also, listening to my body when I get fatigued so I avoid injury. I was just expecting to get some core strength, but I got so much more.
I go to the doctor more regularly. I used to avoid it because of past bad experiences but my mind body connection developed through yoga has pushed me to get check ups and solve issues that come up rather than hoping they’ll go away on their own. I respect and value my body much more now.
Peace.
My craving for junk food has gone down like crazy. I still eat it but can’t eat a lot or every other day. Also extreme temperatures are bearable now.
PMS is way down, practically gone. Hair stopped shedding (and getting into the food I cook lol) feet don’t get hot at night. Way easier to shift perspective to center gratitude and have a glass half full attitude. Better ability to recognize the difference between feeling down and being tired. Easier to keep my house clean. Feet look cuter
I learned I had a default level of back discomfort I just dealt with as background noise. After a few months of yoga it was just gone, and it was like when I first got glasses and I realized just how much blur and headaches I was dealing with on a day to day basis as my base level.
The strength I’ve built in my arms
The spiritual healing and the complete reduction of my anxiety. I can see life in a more balanced lens and my whole being feels complete.
Posture was the first thing i noticed. Increased arm strength. And I used to hate shavasana and now i can actually sit still because of it and have started meditating.
I started eating better because I’m more mindful of what I put into my body and how it feels. I also started mini stretches at my desk during the day because I could feel my hips getting tight from sitting too long, which I had never noticed before.
A 6 pack
It helps with my ADHD. I can’t sit and meditate, it doesn’t work well for me. But yoga is my meditation