Yoga – the exercise where your body and mind work together

Let me start by saying that I am not someone who likes to exercise. Don’t get me wrong, I played tennis in high school and every winter I organized a ski trip for my family. But, I was never one of those who ended up liking it. In addition to my fall tennis season, I started boxing. Unusual, yes, but I felt it might have a calling for me. Well, it’s not. When Covid hit I started taking long walks with my family when there was nothing else to do; I liked it. I kept going until I got to college, where I felt like walking to class was enough. My occasional visit to the gym was less than pleasant, so I only graced them with my presence about 5 times. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to train; is that I had not found how I liked to do it.

So here I am this summer when my mom texts me about a yoga studio in my hometown. I had tried yoga in the past, but found it incredibly boring and, honestly, too hard. Despite this, I decided to give it a try. I couldn’t believe I had fun. Not only was the vibe and atmosphere perfect, but it felt like my mind and body, for once, were working together during a workout. Usually, as I walked my 6-3-30 on the treadmill, my eyes were laser-focused on the timer. I stared at him, hoping that somehow the time would pass faster. Unfortunately, it was even slower.

So when I found out that yoga didn’t do that to me, I decided to stick with it. I practiced yoga for two months, and for me, that’s a long time to stick with one form of exercise. Yoga has many foundations, but one is that it is a meditation for our mind and the physical results are just an addition to the practice. Instead of waiting for my yoga practice to be over, I would cultivate my mind to become stronger and sharper. Each class was also 75 minutes long, a number I would have considered unfathomable in the past. And yet, I always had the impression of completely forgetting time when I crossed the door of the studio. From yin to vinyasa, yoga can offer everyone an activity that trains both your body and your mind. If you’re like me, someone who never liked to exercise, maybe yoga is for you. I leave you with a quote from Rolf Gates: “Yoga is not training; it’s a work. As you change your body, you also change how you feel inside.