Please tell me what you love about yoga?

[Liltzero]

Two new studios have opened near me and I'm thinking of giving a yoga a go.
What does it bring to your life?
Thank you

It helps me a lot with general aches and pains and I’ve got much better posture than I used to. I also find the flow of it really relaxing.

I'm fairly static in my work. I like that yoga normally targets the whole body.

I enjoy the different styles you can choose from depending on how you feel, and that you can choose your pace. It's not a race and going 'the hardest or bendiest' isn't going to be rewarded.

I find that I really have to focus on my movement to understand what feels good and it's not often I give my body that time or thought.

Everything. It's wonderful!

I started doing daily yoga around November last year and joined a thread here to do an online programme from January.

I had done yoga in the past but never daily and that really makes a difference.

It makes me less impatient and grumpy with my kids, happier and more relaxed in general, deals with aches and pains (I used to have permanently sore shoulders from desk work), has massively improved my flexibility, balance, and posture and toned me up. I would honestly seriously recommend anyone to give it a go. At the moment I am still just doing it at home online but I'd really like to make time to go to a physical class once a week as well. If you've never practised before I'd think a studio class is well worth it.

I like being able to fling a leg over a wall or a gate without fear of ‘doing myself a damage’.

I just did youtube videos and incorporated some of the moves into my 'waiting for the kettle to boil' fidgeting routine and can now crouch down again to see what's going on in the oven. I feel generally a lot more flexible but not having to squish my dodgy knees against the kitchen floor tiles was worth it alone.

Oh, and I think I feel a bit less likely to fall over while climbing around my cliffhillside allotment. Something to do with a stronger core.

I've been doing yoga for a long time now. Started in my late teens and I'm now mid 30s. With the right teacher yoga makes me feel like I can slow down all of my worries. All I'm thinking about is breathing.

My enjoyment Yoga is really dependent on the teacher, style, and environment. Some of these studios are just full of people wanting to put photos on social media so that they can say they do Yoga.

Agree @CurbsideProphet finding the right teacher for you makes a massive impact.

Less achy joints, greater flexibility resulting in no more lower back aches. Increased lung capacity via the deep breathing exercises in my yin yoga class. Less anxiety, feeling more calm and resulting better sleep as if I wake in the night, I do the deep breathing to go back to sleep. I have had an mri where in the past I had been very panicky being enclosed in the machine but I used the deep breathing and blocked out the noise. I feel stronger too. Sense of accomplishment as I can progress to stronger poses, more advanced version of a pose than when just starting out. I do yin yoga and flow yoga.

Thanks for all the replies.

How many times a week do you have to do it to get the benefits? I also run and do circuit classes so would need to find the time.

Any recommendations for online teachers?

Yoga with Adrienne is the usual starting point for on line. I also like Kassandra and a bit of Cat Meffin (she's more hard core).

I am not a fit or strong person but yoga helps me feel like I may be. It stretches out lots of niggly bits and the flow is calming.

I try and do a short practice every day. I used to go a weekly hour long class but I prefer little and often.

I also aim for little and often. If I skip it for too long, I get stiffness and aches and pains. It's very good for your spine.
I devised a routine of my own based on Adrienne's videos on YouTube and I took classes in the past. Do it if you can.

I like that it maximises my flexibility, makes me stronger and taller.

If you get a good teacher, you’ll focus on your breathing so much that you won’t think about anything else at all for 90 minutes.

It'll be your best nights sleep of the week!