Yoga, A Beautiful Way of Life

I was always fascinated with the idea of yoga and a yogic lifestyle since my childhood days. As a teenager, I would read about yoga poses in magazines and watch yoga programs on TV and try to copy them. I thought of it as an exercise form which would keep me fit.

It was not till much later in life, when I understood what yoga really is. In my 30’s I was a regular visitor to the gym. I also took up running and ran the Silicon Valley half marathon. Around the same time, I started developing stiffness and pain in my neck and back area. After numerous visits to physical therapists and chiropractors, I was barely able to manage the pain but not totally eliminate it. My neighbor, who was a yoga and meditation teacher, advised me to try her class. After taking the class, I started realizing that my pain subsides when I focus my breath and attention to the pain area. It was a revelation to me that yoga was not just about physical fitness. It provides a holistic approach to life which heals the whole body, mind and spirit complex.

Excited by my new discovery, I started practicing simple yoga poses with attention to breath and problem areas in the body. Within a month my pain had totally vanished. My doctor was surprised and curious about what had healed me. After this point I continued my practice, adding Sun Salutations and more advanced poses. Slowly I started feeling more energetic, peaceful and happy. I felt I had become more dynamic and youthful. This gave me a new zest for life, which people around me also started noticing.

In addition to poses, I also started adapting a holistic lifestyle, adding meditation and breathing practices to my daily routine. I started eating more fresh, natural foods, reduced unhealthy habits such as sleeping very late and watching too much TV, specially violent programs. By changing these habits, I felt more and more peaceful and was able to focus on my work and other enriching activities such as singing, spending quality time with my family and creative writing.

Today I feel that Yoga is a beautiful way of life, which makes life a celebration. I see so many of my friends go through life with stress, ill-heath, and many other related problems. I was lucky to discover yoga and change my life. It has really put me in touch with myself and changed my whole outlook towards life. 

- By Manisha Verma