Have you ever wondered what habits you can adopt to feel energetic and vibrant at age 30, elegant and calm at age 50, and full-of-vigor at age 70?
In our fast-paced, high-pressure, modern lives, we often ignore the voice in our hearts and pursue efficiency, wealth, or achievements. Yoga is a practice that has been around for thousands of years but is still relevant today.
Why has yoga lasted for thousands of years, and why is it a lifestyle that people today are striving to follow?
How did it evolve into a philosophy that encourages lifelong companionship from a physical exercise?
The “unlimited” nature of yoga is its charm.
Physical level: According to a study by Harvard Medical School, people who have been practicing yoga for a longer period of time have indices of cardiovascular health that are 30% higher than those of the average person.
Psychological level: Sarah is a Silicon Valley executive who shared her story. She said that under the pressure of working 10 hours per day, yoga helped to relieve her anxiety and insomnia, and help her regain focus and calmness.
Social phenomenon: More than 40 million Americans practice yoga regularly. 60% of these have been practicing for more than five years. They see yoga as the “antidote for anxiety in a digital age.”
In an age of information overload, social media can be a great way to “slow down.” Yoga is not just a way to stretch the body but also to reshape the mind. People who spend 20 minutes talking to themselves each day are using breathing and postures as a way to combat “attention deficit disorder.”
Yoga is a long-term dialogue, not just a short-term exercise plan. It teaches how to find calm in the midst of chaos, strength in fatigue and direction in confusion.
Instead of saying that yoga is an habit, it’s better to say it’s a choice. Choose to reconcile yourself, choose the present and choose to explore the infinite possibilities that body and mind have to offer.
You can breathe with ease even if your peers are swollen and wrinkly. When anxiety and stress consume their sleep, your breathing can bring you peace. Yoga won’t make you “10 year younger”, but will make you feel more like yourself.
“Yoga is a journey, not a destination.” Every yoga mat is an inner freedom map.
