HOW YOGA CHANGED MY LIFE

I discovered yoga during a challenging period in my life. Back then I found that it always left me feeling more peaceful and I enjoyed the physical challenge so I decided to stick with it for a while. Little did I know back then that it will transform my life on so many levels. It has become my lifestyle for the last 6 years. When you stay consistent with yoga it will give back to you everything that you put in and transform your life forever. Here is how yoga has changed my life.

❤ Being in present moment ❤

For many of us, we’re often in some far off state, worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.
I’ve never experienced something that forces me to slow down and take a note of what is happening around me and inside me like yoga - in spending an hour a day consciously paying attention to the so simple act of breathing, paying attention to what my body is able to tolerate. During these moments I allow myself to experience a sense of pure presence. Being in a challenging yoga position all I can focus on in Here and Now. And when I roll up my mat and leave, I find myself more present. I can look and appreciate more beauty in the world around me being off the matt as well. I have come to learn that the present moment is the only true place where life really exists.

❤ Self Love ❤

Staying consistent with Yoga it was my commitment to myself, to heal myself, it was about taking responsibility over my life one breath at the time, coming to a realization that I am the creator of my life’s experience and I am responsible for my energy field. It was a commitment to Self-Love. All the work we have to do starts from within. THE RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH YOURSELF IS THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP YOU WILL EVER HAVE. It will determine the outcome of all your other relationships in your life. So why not make it a good one and why not commit to self love. You are worth it. Your life is worth it.

❤ Flexibility, on and off the matt ❤

Yoga has made me very flexible physically. This extends also mentally. Yoga is a holistic practice uniting mind, body and spirit. When we work on our physical flexibility we also overtime become more open, fluid and flexible mentally, emotionally, spiritually. It’s about learning to trust the divine intelligence of life and going with the flow, instead of fighting against it. Allowing life to unfold as it should. Increased flexibility allows for a respect and acceptance of the spontaneity of life and all of the constant change, expected or otherwise, always going on around us.

❤ Healing ❤

There is a saying in yoga – “Your issues are in your tissues” and it’s very true. Mind, body, spirit is one. We store a lot of emotional traumas in our physical body without ever realizing it. When people began to practice yoga often it can be an emotional journey of releasing a lot of emotional baggage stored in the body. Many people are even surprised to feel certain strong emotions coming up during a particular yoga postures. TO FEEL IS TO HEAL. As we move the energy through the body during yoga, we release the old energy to make space for new. We heal. We allow more love into our lives.

❤ Believing in myself & my power ❤

Yoga is you meeting yourself. It’s about developing trust in yourself. When you start building the physical strength through the poses you also start to believe in your own limitless potential. The goal of yoga is certainly not to master some challenging posture, it's about everything that happens in the mean time. But when you do master a posture it feels very rewarding. You realize your power that extends way beyond physical.

❤ Peace ❤

Yoga practice strives to provide balance; achieving balance in your poses means also achieving a sense of balance within your self. The goal of a complete yoga practice is to unite the mind, body, and spirit. During class, the mind is a little more settled thanks to structured breathing and focus, the body benefits from a stretching, reaching, and unfolding from our usual daily tense muscles. Your soul is encouraged to find peace.

❤ Expanded consciousness ❤

Ironically many people began this practice for a purpose of better physical body, little do they realize that it will shift all areas in their life. Through consistent practice, through being in meditative states that yoga offers we start to connect with universal energy that expands our consciousness and we gain new levels of awareness spiritually. Beautiful, fit physical body is only an awesome side effect of yoga :)

❤ Connection & New friendships ❤

Yoga has helped me to connect with amazing unique people from all over he world. I have done several Yoga Teacher Trainings in Bali and Hawaii, each time I would make a new beautiful friends who are committed to self-empowerment, healing and living a life of purpose. I have had so many beautiful adventures and experiences thanks to the people I have met as a result of this practice and I am very grateful for that.

Ultimately the real Yoga starts off the matt. When you can bring new levels of awareness, more peace, more happiness into this world by being the embodiment of yoga. I can surely say that I am so much more peaceful, happier, authentic, kinder human being thanks to this practice. And I am always a work in progress.

Namaste, Ilze xox