Adopting a minimalist lifestyle is a long process that is reflected in various aspects of our lives. It can start with small changes in our diet as slowly awakening to full awareness of our surroundings and thoughts. Even in the natural therapy practices we adopt to take care of our bodies.
I am not a one hundred percent minimalist, but I try to live a slower life and have been able to discover some wonderful practices to feel relaxed and strengthen my body. One of them has been the practice of yoga.
My first encounter with yoga was when I was looking for an alternative way to exercise but with a low-impact discipline because that time, I had a lot of back pain due to a cervical rectification.
Since I was a child, I have always liked to practice sports. I practiced rhythmic gymnastics for many years, but in adulthood academic and work obligations took me away from the space to practice sports. Adult life leads us to saturate our time with obligations, and without realizing it we become numb.
Have you noticed that most of the things we do are done sitting down and with limited movements? We sit for hours in front of the laptop, behind the wheel of the car for long hours in traffic. Sitting eternally in front of the TV or game console. Sitting for long periods leads us to adopt bad postures, and the muscles of the spine, abdomen, and legs lose tone and strength.
There were times when I felt I didn't have enough strength and flexibility to move comfortably, so I started practicing yoga. At first, it was not easy, but one of the things that made me fall in love with yoga is that the instructors let you do the postures at your own pace. That is, they stretch you as far as you can without overexertion. I thought this was great because it is a sign of respect for the abilities of our body and thus gives it the time it needs to adapt. How many times do we allow ourselves this?
In the first classes, I was a little skeptical when some people told me that through the practice of yoga, I would feel a physical and emotional transformation. I could not understand how "simple" postures for a few seconds could transform me.
However, when I started to do the postures, after a few seconds, I was sweating. How was this possible? Sweating was for extreme sports, but with yoga, I didn't believe it.
Little by little, I let myself go without predispositions, and the physical capabilities of my body began to see results. I began to experience incredible flexibility. Many muscle pains disappeared. I could sleep better. I was in a good mood and thinking positive and enthusiastic thoughts. I felt strong!
Something that motivated me a lot was practicing yoga with friends. Group motivation is important. I was fortunate to find a good trainer. A person with a lot of patience and passion for this discipline. Each class was an experience of personal and group growth. Have you ever had involuntary tears after doing something that brings you pleasure? Some people attribute this action to sex, but when I finished some yoga classes, tears came out of my eyes without thinking. It was a liberating and fulfilling sensation. It was a way to leave all the accumulated stress on the yoga mat.
However, sometimes the schedules did not work in my favor, so I could attend yoga classes, I looked for an alternative to continue practicing the postures. On the internet there are several "yoga instructors" but sometimes you have to look for the one that transmits affinity, and I found the wonderful Chinese yogi Wai Lana. She has a series of videos of various levels for beginners to advanced practitioners. When my schedule did not allow me to attend yoga classes, I practiced with the videos.
My experience I can tell you that the first change I experienced practicing yoga was emotional. Being able to achieve some postures reinforced my self-esteem. It was like a little voice that told me: "yes, you can do it. Go for it! But after the third month of practice, I started to see changes in my body as toned arms, a flat abdomen, and firm inner thighs. These areas are very difficult to tone with exercises in a gym, but slowly with yoga, I achieved it. Corporally what surprised me the most was the strength in my back and abdomen. Every time I sat down automatically my posture was upright. It was wonderful!
Maybe yoga made me lose a couple pounds, but the wonderful thing is that I felt my muscles toned and strong. I'm fifty. I'm not looking for a supermodel silhouette. I'm more interested in having strong muscles that protect my bones and allow me many years of mobility under my power.
With the pandemic, many of my activities were modified, and the practice of yoga has not been so regular lately. However, I am trying to adapt to my new work routine to establish those spaces of health so necessary to have balance. Right now, I am focused on practicing yoga in natural open spaces. I hope to make it happen!
I would love to read about your experience!
All images are property of the author edited with Snapseed
(Camera cell phone: POCO X3 Pro, Xiaomi)
The author's original text in Spanish was translated into English using DeepL
