It is one thing to attend yoga classes regularly, but to integrate the principles of yoga in your everyday routine and life is paramount for reaping the full benefits of this discipline.
As an ancient practice and way of life, yoga is more than physical exercise designed for toning and promoting balance. Yoga is designed to bridge the mind, emotions, and body in a way that significantly improves your quality of life and informs your daily lifestyle.
Here are some of the ways that you can apply yoga principles to your daily lifestyle.
Develop Effective Breathing Techniques
The breathing techniques you learn on the mat through an instructor can and should be applied in your daily life. Deeper inhales and exhales help significantly alleviate and manage stress. The longer you exhale after a deep inhale triggers the rest and digest response versus the fight and flight response.
Be conscientious of your breathing patterns in everyday life, and see how pranayama, or the formal practice of controlled breathing, can bring about the relaxation response in you as you encounter daily stressors. Learning how to breathe correctly allows you to fully live in the moment and be present, so you can go with the flow and be more easy going.
Stay well rested
Needless to say, it is important to stay rested because there is power in good rest. The repair and restoration of your mind and body depend on it, promoting good mental health. Even just a few yoga stretches right before bed as part of nightly routine can make a huge difference with sleep quality.
Through mindfulness achieved by a nightly yoga pose routine, you can also reduce the chance of lying awake ruminating and worrying, which can also cause you to wake up in the middle of the night through sleep disturbances. So use yoga to sleep longer, fall asleep faster, and decrease sleep disturbances.
Be more present
Yoga promotes individual awareness and insight, making you are more apt to learn new things, including personal and relational development.
Use yoga to be most present in your own life, so you can live your life to the fullest and experience less stress through mindfulness. Try getting out in nature to experience being fully present in your mind and body, as yoga places a high significance on being in nature and being one with your surroundings.
Among other benefits are staying balanced in your life and sticking with a daily routine that gives you structure through self-discipline. The principles of yoga can edify you, giving you some structure in your life along with tried and true guiding principles that can improve your mental, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. So give these all a try as an alternative, drug-free method of healing and self-improvement.