Awaken Your Inner Warrior: 11 Reasons To Start Yoga Now

Unlock your full potential and get ready to embark on a transformative journey towards holistic well-being as we look at 11 compelling reasons to start yoga. Your journey to a happier and healthier lifestyle starts here.

Yoga and I weren’t in love at first sight.

I left my first yoga class thinking: “Thanks, but I don’t think I will be back any time soon.” And, I wasn’t. In fact, I think it was about 10 years later when I found myself back on the mat. 

But the second time around, yoga and I had an instant connection. And a year later I quit my job and traveled halfway around the world to do my first yoga teacher training.

Yoga completely shook up my world and belief systems and turned my life upside down. It has been a pretty wild ride since I started my yoga journey. My life completely changed and so did I.

Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.

– The Bhagavad Gita

Throughout my yoga journey, I learned that yoga is so much more than just a physical practice.

Yes, of course, you get all the benefits of a tight core, toned legs, toned arms, etc. but if you are open to it, yoga has the potential to go so much deeper.

Yoga offered me a gateway to my emotions and along this journey of personal growth and self-discovery, I found my truth and the key to living a more authentic life, which is led by the heart rather than the mind.

Yoga pushes you out of your comfort zone and how you deal with challenges on the mat tells you so much about how you show up in your life off the mat.

11 Reasons to start yoga

Yoga is a holistic practice and as soon as you step on the mat and connect with yoga, you will start to feel the benefits of yoga shine through in so many different areas of your life.

Please note that all 11 reasons to start yoga below are based on my personal experience along my yoga journey.

We are all different and the benefits of yoga are likely to show differently from person to person, but let me assure you, every minute you invest in yourself will pay off.

And now, let’s awaken your inner warrior…

Reasons to start yoga #1: Improved physical, mental and emotional well-being

Yoga offers a variety of physical, mental, and emotional benefits.

On a physical level yoga helps to strengthen your body, and improves your flexibility, balance, and coordination.

Apart from that, yoga teaches you body awareness and better alignment helping you to develop a better and stronger posture overall.

And as your body becomes stronger, so does your mind.

Yoga encourages self-awareness, helps to reduce stress, makes you more resilient to stress, improves your focus, boosts your productivity, creativity, emotional well-being and so much more.

Reasons to start yoga #2: Tap into the body-mind-spirit connection

In yoga, we link movement with breath to create unity between body, mind, and spirit.

Yoga starts with the breath. Conscious breathing soothes the nervous system. Over time the mind becomes clear and free from any thoughts, judgments, or fears and we come back to our natural state of being.

Everything that comes from this state, is pure and filled with love and respect. It comes with an understanding of the universal truth: that we are all one, acknowledging and respecting that everything around us has a life within.

This goes beyond human beings. It applies to nature, animals, everything that you can see, and everything you can’t see, but feel.

You begin to understand that you are more than just your body, you are part of something that is so much bigger…

Reasons to start yoga #3: Learn to appreciate the now

As you flow through the different yoga postures on the mat, you practice awareness and if you allow it, your mind becomes still and you become present on the mat.

Knowing how to be present on the mat, will help you to be more present in your life off the mat as well.

And as you start spending more time in the present moment, your life will become more intentional. Meaning, you start to make better choices for yourself. Choices that are aligned with your personal core values, dreams, desires, as well as your overall life goals.

Living life in alignment with your essence will give your life a deep sense of purpose.

And as you create a life that you enjoy living in the present moment, there is less worrying about the past and the future.

Reasons to start yoga #4: Embrace your weird

Growing up in a society where you are constantly judged by your appearance, your education, your job title, your income, etc. doesn’t generate the confidence to be yourself.

Yoga doesn’t judge. Yoga teaches you that we all have strengths and weaknesses, but both are equally important. And together with your own individual life experiences, they shape YOU.

Personally, I think the biggest gift you can give yourself (and the people around you) is to see and accept yourself for who you truly are and embrace everything that is YOU with an open heart. 

Yoga teaches you that you are unique. You are who you are for a reason and you are already perfect the way you are.

Yoga encourages you to step into your uniqueness, own it, and shine your light.

Reasons to start yoga #5: Learn to appreciate and accept your boundaries

In our society, boundaries or limitations always come with a negative connotation. But ignoring your boundaries and pushing through them can lead to pain, exhaustion, anxiety, depression, etc.

With yoga, there is no finish line and whether you are a beginner or a more advanced student, there will always be yoga poses that are more challenging for you than others.

Yoga teaches you that there is a difference between what your mind (ego) wants and what is healthy for you and your body whenever you are facing these more challenging yoga postures.

You begin to understand that your boundaries are important and that they can teach you a lot about yourself.

They teach us to be mindful of our needs, they protect our energy and if you use them wisely, these boundaries can help guide you in creating a life that matters to you.

Reasons to start yoga #6: Reconnect with your intuition

Intuition is something we are all born with, but then, society and life happen and we get so confused and stuck in what we should or should not do and totally lose any connection to our intuition.

Yoga is a practice of awareness. On the mat, you learn to tune in with your body, your thoughts, and your emotional world.

Yoga teaches you to reconnect with your intuition, to listen carefully, and to trust that wisdom that you hold deep inside of you.

Reasons to start yoga #7: Experience the art of letting go

Every time you step on the mat, yoga invites you to let go of any distracting thoughts, surrender to the present moment, and let go of the past and worries about the future.

As you flow through the different yoga postures on the mat, you are likely to experience physical resistance in your body. Yoga teaches us to let go of these attachments to bodily sensations and control.

Yoga starts with breath and on the mat, we learn to breathe through these bodily sensations, cultivating a deep connection between our breath and letting go as each exhale becomes a gentle release of physical tension and emotional baggage at the same time.

As we find balance, stability, and trust in these challenging yoga poses/situations we learn to extend these qualities to our lives off the mat, releasing the need to control every aspect of our life and more and more embracing the wisdom of non-attachment.

Reasons to start yoga #8: Yoga encourages self-love

Yoga is an internal practice and one of the biggest lessons yoga can teach us is acceptance. Acceptance for who we are as a person with all our strengths and weaknesses, flaws and imperfections alike.

Yoga promotes mindfulness helping us to become more attuned to our thoughts, emotions, and inner dialogues. This allows a sense of self-awareness and helps to unveil any negative self-perceptions that we might have.

Once you are aware of your negative self-perceptions, you can start to gradually replace them by cultivating self-love from within.

Tip: If you are looking to cultivate self-love from within, apart from yoga, self-love affirmations are a great way to do so. In addition to this, other mindfulness practices such as journaling, or self-care activities can also be a great support along your self-love journey.

Reasons to start yoga #9: Say yes to yourself and goodbye to toxic people

As you are learning more and more about your boundaries, start living more intentionally, and learn to appreciate and love yourself for who you truly are, you also cultivate self-worth.

Knowing your worth will enable you to level up your life, say goodbye to toxic people, toxic relationships, toxic environments, etc., and step into a happier and healthier version of yourself.

You understand that you are worthy of your dreams, desires, and everything that you want for yourself in this lifetime.

Reasons to start yoga #10: Experience the magic of practicing gratitude

Through physical yoga postures, deep breathing and meditation yoga encourages mindfulness and awareness of the present moment.

And as you go through life with more awareness your mindset starts to shift and you will notice yourself focusing more on the positive things in life and enjoy more of the simple pleasures of life.

This will bring a sense of deep contentment, internal happiness, and joy.

Tip: If you are looking to bring more gratitude into your life and are looking to start a regular gratitude practice, make sure to check out my blog posts How to Start a Gratitude Journal and 7 Mindful Gratitude Activities For Adults – A Journey To Abundance.

Reasons to start yoga #11: Understand that change is natural

Yoga teaches you that change is natural.

As you are creating different shapes/yoga poses on the mat you might encounter challenges or physical sensations with some yoga poses.

But you learn that you can breathe through these physical sensations and challenges, and you will overcome them. You begin to realize that everything on this planet is in constant flux.

Everything on this earth follows a natural cycle, for example, the moon. As the moon goes through cycles of growth and decline so do we.

You begin to understand that these challenging moments are part of life and will happen, but at the same time, these are the moments that hold opportunities for personal growth and development for us.

It all depends on you and how you decide to encounter them.

Embrace your inner warrior – Tips on how to start yoga

First of all, well done for saying ‘Yes’ to yourself, and now let’s look at a few tips and tricks on how to help you get started on your yoga journey.

Find a suitable yoga studio and yoga teacher

Ask friends, neighbors, work colleagues, etc. for recommendations for yoga studios in your area. Alternatively, do a Google search and look for ‘yoga studios near me’.

Find a studio that resonates with you and you feel comfortable. Next, check out their weekly schedule, look for beginner’s classes, and sign up for your first yoga class. YAYYY!

Commit to Consistency

As with everything in life, consistency is key. Start small, and gradually build up. Block the time for your yoga practice in your diary and don’t compromise on it.

Keep showing up for yourself and stick to this new healthy lifestyle habit of yours.

Listen to your body

Check-in with your body and listen to how your body feels. Yoga should never cause any discomfort in your body. If a yoga pose does not feel good, ask your yoga teacher for help and advice. It might be that you just need a yoga prop to support you.

Don’t be shy, all yoga poses come with lots of different variations and options. In yoga, there is always a choice, and in case the pose is not for you, then your choice might be to do a different yoga pose instead.

If you have any further questions or would like a deep dive into the topic of how to start yoga, make sure to check out my blog post on What to Expect from Your First Yoga Class. This is a complete step-by-step guide helping you to prepare for your first yoga class answering questions about which yoga style is right for you, what to wear to yoga, what to expect from your first yoga class, and so much more.

Flow with me

If you would like to flow with me, there are a few different options.

Firstly, I have a lot of free online yoga videos on YouTube. Find all my free online on-demand yoga classes here.

Alternatively, check out my weekly schedule and join one of my live Zoom online yoga classes and meet like-minded yogis from around the world.

And yes, keep an eye open for my studio classes too. I usually announce them via my social media channels on Instagram and Facebook. If you don’t follow me already, let’s connect and stay in touch.

I can’t wait to connect with you and meet you on the mat.

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Yoga really shook up my world and I am deeply grateful for all the experiences and people that yoga brought into my life.

In yoga, I found an outlet for depression, anxiety, and grief. Through regular practice, I learned to ground myself, let go of fear, embrace trust, and connect with the healing power of my heart.

Yoga certainly is a journey, but it is your journey and you are the captain of your ship. Meaning you decide where this journey will lead you and how deep it will go. The power is yours.

If you enjoyed this blog post, make sure not to miss out on the blog posts below:

• 5 Benefits of Yoga in the Morning – Special: 3-Day Morning Yoga Challenge
• From Couch to Lotus: 7 Proven Hacks on How to Start a Home Yoga Practice
• 5 Best Yoga Props for Your Home Yoga Practice

As always, thank you so much for your time and your space beautiful warrior, so very much appreciated.

Love & Light.

Stay wild,

Nicolle

Featured image: Photo by madison lavern on Unsplash