A year ago I decided to join a yoga class in order to try something different and new , I attended a Power yoga class not knowing the differences between all kinds of yoga, it was simply what I came across at that time and little did I know that it could change my entire life.

It wasn’t something obvious at first nor something tangible but as I look back I can see the difference it made.

So here is how , just by attending two or three classes per week , yoga helped me in my daily life and what I learned from practicing yoga.

First thing is BREATHING , the power of BREATH as a way to DESTRESS , when I feel my mind trapped in my anxious thoughts (which I often do ) I focus on taking at least 10 deep breaths and it really does make me feel calmer or sometimes it just helps me see things clearer after taking this short easy break .

Second thing I learned was that it is important to confess to YOURSELF  how you feel even if you are not proud of  it , this is the first step to let go of any unwanted emotion , NOT by ignoring it nor denying it , but instead stating your feelings about that issue then you can work on it properly or simply if you can’t do anything about it just stating it will help you let it go .

If something is hard admit that it is hard and that you will work on it , don’t expect yourself to get it right or good the first time .

If some situation  you are not ok with and you can’t do anything about it , say that you are not ok with but find ways to get along with it by time , don’t force yourself to be ok from the beginning just like we don’t force any movement in yoga don’t force any emotions on yourself in life .

The third thing I gained from yoga is that it is the only time I completely break free from outside,

Whenever I have million things on my mind , I like to practice yoga because when I do the three MIND ,BODY AND SOUL  are just focusing on what I do , starting by leaving my phone ,I leave my troubles away too and merge into class and by the first deep breath I take I start to feel the peace.

The forth thing is that yoga helped me gain is more self confidence , I ‘ve always been very confident growing up , but when adult life hit me I started to feel otherwise , I am not very toned and am not very flexible either but seeing different yoga teachers with different bodies helped me love my own body and feel more confident in my own skin and I knew that my body is capable of much more that I can imagine and just like that my mind is also capable of much more so that pushed me to explore other things in life.

Last but not least , yoga helped enjoy my own company , I used to hate staying alone at home or outside , but now I can practice without needing any tools ,  I can meditate , I can just sit still and reflect my own thoughts or I can just enjoy the silence because I learned that it is ok to rest , it is ok to take a break , it is ok to do absolutely nothing for some time if that’s I need in order to feel  well .

I am grateful I started this journey , I am grateful  for my yoga teachers , I am grateful for my body , I am grateful for myself for trying something new that changed my life !