365 days of daily yoga

Date: 2023-02-20

This is my 1 year anniversary of doing daily yoga. I become a little bit emotional at the end, hehe. I was never really the guy, who moved a lot. I had always trouble with my weight, and I wouldn't really dream about flexibility. Just a tipical nerdy guy with his computer.

I really don't know what to write now. Today's session, Adriene said something profound: "The journey is your reward."

Throughout this last year, I learned a lot about myself, my connection with my body. One thing I learned that I have to be patient with myself, and make small progress each and every day. Although I strived to make every movement to the fullest, I wasn't sad if I couldn't. I always told myself that in a week, or a month or year (or ten years), I can make it.

Another thing I learnt, to not compare myself to others. It's really easy to see other people doing yoga on youtube or at other places. I realized early that we as humans, are individuals, we have different bodies, with different problems, so their is no need to compare myself to Adriene or anybody else. I saw some truly impressive people, but I also aknowledged, that I am, me. I have some problems, some limitations, that I have to handle. No reason to compare myself, to discourage myself to do yoga or any other form of movement. I simple won't be able to reach a certain level, just because of my circumstance, but I can better myself each and every day, and show to myself and to others around me, what I can do. That's all we can do really, and if we give truly our best, then at the end of the day we can go to bed with a smile.

At the time when I started doing yoga in last February, I had an ongoing pain in my right arm and shoulder. I couldn't push myself up from the ground without pain. After a few months, one day I just realized: hey I don't feel that pain anymore. I felt fantastic, and it's clear to me, that it was yoga that helped me. I know I mentioned this every time I write about yoga, but this was such an ongoing trouble for me that I am really grateful to feel better.

But other than physical benefits, the biggest one is mental. Yoga gave me such a slowdown in my life, I truly think I become less reactionary in life. I try to become calmer person, one who doesn't react, but respond to situations. I think it's because when a person is doing yoga, we have to slow down, and focus on breath ("remember, breath always comes first" -Adriene), and our movement. It's like when I do yoga, nothing exist outside of that place and time. Today I did a 40 minute yoga (see the video at the beginning), which honestly felt like 20.

I really don't know how to finish this post, so I just write: Onto the next day!