Yoga is an amazing journey, of mind, body and spirit.

Whether you intended to take on such a journey when you first stepped onto your mat, it’s unavoidable. Here are five ways that Yoga will truly ruin you forever.

1. As you learn to harness your breath, you will slow down and notice the small amazing things your body is capable of.

This slowing down will transfer into your daily life; you will notice the way the light crests over the mountain on your commute to work. Instead of getting frustrated that you may be a few minutes late, you will breathe deep and be grateful for getting to be able to witness such beauty.

2. You start to see your body truly as your temple.

You will notice how much easier it is to do forward fold if you’ve been filling your body with foods like fruits, vegetables and lean meats; foods that don’t weigh your body down. You will notice how you have greater flexibility in dancer’s pose when you are well hydrated.

This feeling of respecting your temple translates off the mat as well; you won’t enjoy that greasy food fix as much because you notice the heaviness in your belly, and you won’t be able to breathe as deep. You will start to respect your body and want to nourish it in the healthiest ways possible.

3. Since beginning yoga, you’ve been on a journey—both physical and spiritual.

You start to separate people from their actions; you begin to see everyone as doing the best they can. You will start to talk to people about respecting their journey; you feel at peace, because you have your heart chakra centered, and you know that deep down anything that is truly meant for you, will never really leave you.

You know synchronicity beats throughout each vessel in this beautiful universe, and you feel privileged to be a part of it.

4. As you practice each day, you will inherently begin to appreciate that you are not a body, but a soul.

You will relish your laugh lines because it shows all the times you’ve laughed until you’ve had tears streaming down your face; you will run your fingers across your stretch marks, and scars from birthing a baby with love and awe that your body was able to do something so amazing. You won’t care if your hip bones protrude enough, or if that silly thigh gap everyone is talking about is visible.

You will see the beauty in your strength and scars, and nothing else will begin to matter to you, because you know your beauty rests much deeper than the polish on your nails, or the shadow brushed on your eyelids.

5. On the mat you harness your breath, feeling your stomach and breasts rise and fall with each inhale and exhale.

You will begin to appreciate your body in the most humanly natural way possible; not because bodies are perfect, but because like life, we get dirty, messy and hot, but in the realness true sexiness lies. You will embrace the strength in your thighs you’ve acquired through warrior poses because it lets you bend and twist with your lover.

You won’t be concerned about that three inch scar on your lower stomach because you will be able to backbend in ecstasy.

You won’t just desire your lover’s body, you’re going to desire their soul, and there’s no coming back from that.

Yoga is one of the most transformational journeys one can go on; it truly will remake your life in ways you never thought possible, and thankfully, it will ruin you, because you will never be the same.

 

Relephant read:

How Yoga Really Changes your Life.

 

Author: Kate Rose

Volunteer Editor: Kim Haas / Editor: Renee Picard 

Photo: Author’s own.