Getting into yoga

I was very active as a child. Spending most of my days outside, me and my friends enjoyed running around, riding on our bikes or rollerskating. As I went to school I have slowly started withdrawing from group sports like football or basketball and by secondary school PE was one of my least favourite subjects. I saw any form of sport more as a way to lose weight rather than stay healthy and being slim, it was not something that interested me. 

As I started working in a coffee shop over a year ago, I began slowly shifting the weight I have put on in my last year of university. By the beginning of April last year I have lost about 8kg just by moving around so much at work. I began feeling fitter and healthier despite having lost so much weight and was happy to discover that I could achieve that whilst doing something I enjoy rather than spend my time running or going to the gym. 

When I began cutting off sugar from my diet at the beginning of this year, I have set my mind on trying out other healthy ways of being and came across yoga mats and accessories when shopping around in town. I thought that it could be something I would enjoy as it would get me moving outside of work and wouldn't cause me to lose any more weight. So I bought the mat and looked up some yoga videos on Youtube and off I went practicing. 

I began by doing a 20 minute workout for beginners which included easy poses like downward facing dog and cat cow. It definitely made me sweat and took my breath away but I enjoyed it enough to continue doing it every day since. Rolling my mat out and stretching my body in peace and quiet is something I look forward to every day now and I'm not happy with myself when I skip a day of yoga. It's the (roughly) 20 minutes of the day where I can completely shut everything off, quiet down any noises and thoughts and enjoy the deep steady breath as I practice new poses. If I feel angry or tired throughout the day, I look forward to hopping on my yoga mat in the evening as I know it will keep me smiling and feeling relaxed. 

I have only been practicing yoga for just under 2 months but I know it is something I will continue with for a very long time and I look forward to keep getting better at it.