I call yoga the elixir of long-life and health. Practicing yoga has many benefits, but number one is you feel better. And, number two is you get stronger as you practice.
There’s an old saying about getting to Carnegie Hall. It takes practice.
Yoga is no different.
Actually yoga is really easy–after you practice a while.
[On yoga] …start slow. It’s easy, you can’t get hurt, it’s very doable, and I’ve done it in ten-minute segments.
Jane Fonda
When I first started taking yoga classes, I hated it. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the clock. “When?!” I thought, “Is this torture going to end?!” It seemed like 60 minutes took 60 years.
Every pose hurt. I had zero balance and toppled over every time I tried tree pose. I was bored for heaven’s sake!
But, over time, I started to notice a difference. I noticed that triangle pose started to be enjoyable. I noticed that I could actually do a plank without having quaking arms. When I did forward fold, I could actually touch the floor. I was getting more flexible and stronger.
The other day, myself and a group of queenager friends (i.e. women over age 50) were all in class together (see photo above). We’ve all been practicing yoga for some time now, so we are all pretty seasoned. Class was fantastic! After the class concluded, we collectively felt better, our mood was lighter and we felt happy!
The note on the blackboard in the practice room read, “Lifting Today/Stronger Tomorrow.”
I thought, “Isn’t that the truth?”
But that thought applies to much more than yoga. It’s the same with anything you do. Every day, just lift a little bit more, a little bit higher. You only have to compete with yourself, from the day or time before. A little bit each day goes a long way.
This theory applies to much more than yoga. If you’ve seen the movie or read the memoir Brittany Runs a Marathon you know it’s true for running as much as it is to yoga or anything else: Learning the computer, building solid relationships, decluttering your house or starting to journal.
You have to take the first step. Then you have to lift a little more. Get a little stronger. The next thing you know, whatever it is, it’s not a chore: you want to do it.
I did it. You can too!
