2 Key Reasons People Practice Yoga
Updated: Oct 8, 2022
Learn what motivates many yogis to keep showing up on their yoga mats.
Why do yoga students come back to their mats day after day, practice after practice? Of course, there are many reasons people continue to show up to a yoga class, but in my more than 14 years of practicing yoga and 11 years of teaching it, I have found two primary reasons. Yoga helps them (and me):
Feel better.
Sleep better.
These things seem so simple, but add a dozen or more to-dos to your list every day, and life can grow to be extraordinarily complex. Too overwhelming. Too much. Too often.
Enter Savasana (Final Relaxation Pose). Savasana provides the space to understand that we are enough and we do enough, and it gives us permission to just be and breathe. It’s the No. 1 pose I recommend to help manage stress, feel better and sleep better.
Whether you practice it at the end of a yoga class or on its own, the benefits of this pose is worth the time it takes. It shows you how you can feel and think when you are in a state of relaxation, much different from the constant state of doing most of us are used to.
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Practice It: Savasana (Final Relaxation Pose)
Begin by lying on the ground with legs extended and feet hip-distance apart.
Bring your arms a few inches from your torso and turn your palms skyward.
Close your eyes. Watch the rhythm of your breath until you begin to feel like your body is being breathed.
Stay here for five to 10 minutes, longer if you have the time today.
Reawaken quietly by bringing sensation to your fingers and toes. Circle your wrists and ankles. Turn your head from side to side.
Bring your knees to your chest and roll to one side. Pause. Breathe.
Come to a comfortable seat.
Take a yoga class with me to see if it can help you feel better and sleep better.
Note that this website is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Speak with your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine or wellness plan.