A Testimony of Yoga

Everyone has heard of yoga. Most people have seen some sort of yoga, some people have tried it but few people have given it the consistent effort to really reap the bountiful benefits offered by yoga. 

I grew up dancing. Dancing was my love. I loved to way dancing made me feel. I have always been flexible and enjoyed not having to try too hard to achieve flexibility. Through my entire teenage dancing years I suffered with knee problems. My ligaments surrounding my knee cap were so loose; I dislocated my knee frequently. As I entered adulthood I dislocated my knee so badly I was on crutches for several weeks.

I searched for ways to strengthen my muscles. I looked to yoga for answers. To begin with yoga was uncomfortable. I didn't enjoy breathing through the exercises. It was strange and awkward. In fact I held my breath and tensed my muscles. It took experiencing yoga on and off for a year to really begin to understand the principles and begin to feel the benefits.

Once I realized that yoga utilizes the human body in conjunction with the space surrounding the body and weight of the gravity I began to see improvement in my body and began to love it. One of the most essential elements of yoga is the aspect of breath. Breathing into the muscles ignites blood flow. I found that as I breathed into the movements my body expanded and grew. I was able to expand within my body and into the space around me strengthening and stabilizing my muscles. As I utilized breath I found that I was able to hold the stretches for a longer period of time. With each pose my body grew stronger. 

After I had figured out the key to yoga; breathing. I began to enjoy the yoga experience and entered the world of meditation. Yoga really does clear your mind. Yoga requires focus in order to sustain balance, the focus clears unwanted thoughts and allows the mind to be a clean slate and this very aspect is refreshing.

Yoga has dramatically improved my balance and posture. Due to the strength gained from yoga poses I have developed stronger muscles that hold my torso in alignment. I have less back pain and fewer headaches.

I love yoga! I hope I continue to do yoga for the rest of my life, the benefits are amazing and long lasting.