Street Peeper Zimbabwe Street Peeper April 2018 | Page 69

If
there is one thing that you could
You create your own life. 8. To heal
Accepting others is a consequence. Your body and mind have taken wear and
tear to a degree that you are unaware of.
Yoga fast-tracks healing by increasing blood
and oxygen supply to vital organs.
4. To be patient
do just for yourself—purely and selfishly for
Each asana takes effort and time to master,
yourself—consider yoga.
just like everything else in life. You will
As the joke goes, "Money can't buy happi-
gradually see the rewards as you become
ness, but it can buy a yoga class, and it's
more flexible, breathe deeper, have more
basically the same thing!"
rested heartbeats, l ess white hair/wrinkles
and a looser waistband. You will drive
Seriously, though, it will be the most pro-
slower and enjoy the music more.
found investment you will make.
Accepting life is a consequence.
BKS Iyengar was right when he said, "Yoga is
like music: the rhythm of the body, the mel- 5. To learn self-control
ody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul
You inculcate discipline/ habit/exercise in
create the symphony of life."
your daily life. You learn the union of mind
Why? Here are 10 reasons why you should
and body. They say, the mind is the lord of
explore yoga.
the body. Guess what, the breath is the mas-
ter of the mind!
1. Not to lose
weight, but to
get to your
optimum
weight
When you start
a yoga practice
you will see
your weight
fall, gradually,
to what is right
for your body.
And then it will
stay there, even
if you increase
your yoga time.
Because yoga
works with
your body to
find what's
right for you.
Weight loss is a consequence.
9. To be happy
Yoga stimulates the production of hormones
that give you a sense of happinessand well-
being. When this becomes are baseline, you
are bound to stay away from bad habits and
influences.
A good life is a consequence.
10. To be a better person
With patience and a sense of inner well-
being, you become a better spouse, parent,
sibling, worker,
manager and
friend. You drop
judgements and
inhibitions when
you drop onto
the yoga mat.
With deeper
breaths, you
form deeper
perspective on
relationships,
priorities and the
world in general.
You become
humble and
grateful, giving
and receiving
freely.
A wholesome life
is a consequence.
Good health becomes a consequence.
6. To just BE
2. To start listening to your body, its needs,
its pace and its importance
Try sitting still for one minute without your
email, Facebook, WhatsApp or Candy Crush
Once you become aware of the most incredi- (or whatever is the rage these days). Are
you able to? Did you fidget? Are you ok with
ble machine that is your body, you will find
just the sound of your breathing? If you can,
yourself stretching on your own, in a weird
way, in the middle of an asana, just because then please discard this article right away. If
not, start practicing now.
it felt right. Later, if you look up, what you
did instinctively, it will probably be an as-
Mindfulness is a consequence.
ana. You see, your body guides you to what
7. To be still—physically, emotionally and
it needs.
consciously
Self-healing becomes a consequence.
When you do that, your creativity and pro-
3. To accept yourself as you are
ductivity will bloom. You will develop ideas
you didn't know you were capable of. You
Yoga makes you aware of the uniqueness
will find new capabilities and dimensions in
that is only you in the whole universe. You
slowly rise from the rat race and create your your personality.
own goals. After that, you are not bothered
by others' judgements, opinions and rules.
A longer life is a consequence.
Success becomes a consequence.
***
That yoga has umpteen benefits for physical
and mental health is now mainstream
knowledge. The asanas are meant to exer-
cise your whole body, right from your head
to your small toe. What's more, anyone—
whether they are five or ninety-five—can do
some form of yoga, since it is usually a gentle
process. You will never hear a yoga teacher
say, "Get down and give me 10 more
pronto." You'll probably hear soft music and
smell incense in your class, all combining to
create a rejuvenating experience.
"Yoga is not about the shape of your body,
but the shape of your life. Yoga is not to be
performed, it is to be lived. Yoga doesn't
care what you have been; it cares about the
person you are becoming."—Aadil
Palkhivala