YOGA KU NAAN GUARANTEE! :)

Yes I know!! You have heard it a zillion times in all forms of media. The benefits of yoga! With even the west catching up fast on yoga and celebrities adopting this practice, it is no surprise that it has become a hot topic.

But wouldn’t it be more convincing to hear the experience from someone you know?

Well, here goes my story..

I was slightly overweight for 4 yrs. From 12th grade to 3rd year of college. I’m using the word “slightly” because weight seems to be a relative term. Some long lost aunt who arrives one fine day would declare “Oh! Look at you so thin. Kids these days are dieting all the time to look slim”.  On the other hand, my classmates in college would call me fat! Anyway by overweight in this context, I mean a little above the benchmark that is set by the younger generation as acceptable weight. 

Not that I was actually bothered..  Neither did i attempt to eat less, nor did I try to work out. Also, I had wheezing problems since childhood, so I had convinced myself that physical activities aren’t for me.

4th year of college-time for a change!

Whiling away my time at home with only final semester project happening. With lots of holidays, my sleep pattern was changing like crazy. I used to be up till 4am (there was no way I could go to sleep before that, however hard I tried) and my wake up time was well after noon. I was a mess. In fact I tried walking on the treadmill in the evenings, hoping it would make me tired and get me to sleep early, but in vain!

Then one day, I happened to come across a yoga video in YouTube. Since I was pretty jobless and killing time anyway, I decided to give it a try.

It wasn’t bad-not too hard. Yes, certain stretches were way beyond my reach, but I did what I could, as the instructor in the video mentioned. Incredibly, on Day 2 I fell asleep soon after dinner. Can you believe that? In a week’s time, I sensed so much difference. I felt so peaceful and rejuvenated. The body aches that I experienced in the first week (what else can you expect after years of no physical activity?), eventually disappeared. My breathing problems were getting better. Strangely though, people started questioning about my health and advised me not to starve. All i wondered was “Me? Starve??” It was then that I noticed that my clothes were getting oversized for me. I was so rapidly losing weight. And mind you, I wasn’t starving!!!

After experiencing all the benefits, who would want to give up? I continued. I became addicted to it. My health improved so much that wheezing did not stop me from carrying out other physical activities. I could now run in games-my endurance had improved so much that when others took a break panting and gasping for breath, I was still going strong. It was a magical boon!

After i started working, of course, there was no TIME..! But I made sure that at least 15 minutes of yoga is part of my routine. I relax and perform a few poses just before catching my bus in the morning. It has become an integral part of my life. Of course, with the current work pattern and long travel, I tend to miss it on some days. But it is okay, I make an effort to catch up even if I have a tiny slot in the 24 hour day cycle. Pregnancy has not stopped me from continuing either. I am still going strong with my yoga. J

So all you people out there, I very strongly recommend yoga. It is for everyone. Doesn’t matter if you’re thin or fat or old or young or weak or healthy! It is proved to heal several diseases and also prevent many diseases from coming to you in the future. And mostly importantly it keeps your mind peaceful, considering all the stress we undergo at work. Now don’t convince yourself that you do not have the time. Start with the weekends, the addiction will eventually drag you into finding time in the weekdays. In fact, you can perform the breathing exercises and meditation while at desk, only to be refreshed to continue your work.

Trust that most of you would start the yoga journey after reading this! Comments are welcome.

To all those who are already practicing, please share your experiences.