Yoga is a Path to Self-Esteem

By Avalon Hicks

In today’s world one can see all sorts of negative connotations surrounding body image and self worth. From magazines and television to the Internet, people of all ages cannot escape the predispositions of what a healthy, perfect body looks like. For years we have been fighting a battle that is ongoing with negative self-esteem and self worth, often without success. It is those destructive associations that we as a society must fight against for the good of our children and adults alike. Yoga is one of those tools that could change the way we look at ourselves in a positive light.

Yoga is not just for fit, tiny people. Yoga is for absolutely everyone, including children. One of the first steps to becoming more in tune with your body and overcoming your self-image is just getting to a yoga class. Once you are there, you will be surprised at the wide range of people who enjoy the practice of yoga. Begin your path to self-awareness by signing up for your very first class.

Yoga has a proven track record to help people become more flexible, stress free and even help with posture. But you may not realize the benefits that yoga has while you have been through the practice for some time. Yoga helps you become more in tune with your body and brings you self-acceptance. You become more aware of what your body can and can’t do and you will notice the change in your body after you have been practicing yoga for a while. Mind over matter will become apparent when you are practicing yoga. Yoga helps clear your mind from all of the regular noise that fills our head during the day. By clearing your mind, you can relax easier and become less stressed, ready to slip into your pose and enjoy the moment.

There are benefits of yoga that you may not see, but feel.  Yoga gets people active without placing an importance on losing weight or competing with your neighbor. Gone is the notion that you need to be skinny in order to be happy and healthy. Yoga will help you stretch and build muscle resistance using your own body weight. Not only will you find that you may sleep better at night from regularly practicing yoga, but your concentration will be more focused and you will find the chatter in your mind may slow down. Yoga also helps us recognize when we have negative thoughts and how to clear those from our mind. Slowly you will find the negativity dissipates and you will become more content with yourself.

A yoga community can be a great place to meet new friends and explore a world beyond the gym mentality. Yoga focuses on you and self-growth rather than how many repetitions you can do and how much weight you use. Many people are intimidated by the gym and shy away from physical activity because of it. Yoga gives you an alternative to keeping fit in a positive environment without worrying about attending a gym to get it. Exercising with positive energy surrounding you will help you become more confident and able to continue a yoga practice regularly.

By practicing yoga you will inevitably relieve stress, which in turn can calm your mind of the negative thoughts that continuously come into play in your mind. By knowing how to calm your mind and deal with negative thoughts, you can turn your self-conscious around and become more positive with yourself and those around you. What better way to relieve stress, keep yourself fit and feel better about yourself, than by practicing yoga on a regular basis. This one simple practice can do so much for your self-esteem, why wouldn’t you want to try it?

© Copyright 2014 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division