“The future depends on what we do in the present.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
In keeping in line with last week’s post on relaxation methods, this week’s post will introduce another exercise that can be incorporated to help you relax more. Yoga might be a practice worth exploring if you are looking to couple your meditative practice in hopes of deepening it, or perhaps meditation isn’t for you, but you are still looking for the benefits.
Libby Clark, a Calgary-based yoga instructor praises yoga for its far-reaching mental and physical benefits. In addition to helping calm your mind and slowing down those intrusive thoughts, yoga can also help you better deal with moments of anxiety, improve your digestive system, increase the quality of your sleep, as well as improve your overall physical health.
Finding a yoga instructor that fits your personality and reflects what you want to gain in the practice is essential in fully benefiting from the exercise. The next step is finding a studio that offers sessions that work with your schedule.
When I began incorporating yoga in my daily routine, I found it difficult to adhere to any given schedule of sessions offered by the yoga studios that I frequented. I soon realized that the flexibility inherent in doing yoga from home was better suited for me. Soon after this realization, I began my search for an online platform that could offer the same variety, engagement and benefits of a live instructor within a yoga studio.
In doing my research, I eventually came across the YouTube channel Yoga with Adriene. This channel offers free, diverse yoga videos for yogis of all stages. Examples of videos include: yoga for the on-the-go person who wants a short 10 minute pick-me-up session; yoga for the person who prefers exercising in the morning (or at night); yoga for the person who wants a real core workout; yoga for the person who wants a more relaxed session, etc.
In my opinion, this is by far one of best free online yoga platforms that I have come across.