Yoga Teachers Have Their Dream Bodies
Well, not exactly. I’m not going to argue that all yoga teachers always feel great about the way they look. But I will argue that most yoga teachers–and yoga students–have a pretty good relationship with their bodies.
Top 5 Reasons Why Yoga Gives You a Better Body
1. Yoga encourages mindfulness in all areas of life, including while eating. If we’re completely mindful, as in Thich Nhat Hanh mindful, while eating, we can get great pleasure from even the most non-treat-like food. Every bite is savoured and appreciated.
2. Asana helps us learn to be completely aware of our body-mind state of being. This awareness enables us to realize that we’re craving a two-bite chocolate brownie because we’re feeling a bit stressed, not because we’re actually hungry. (Which is not to say we should never eat brownies; let’s just savour every bite so we register the treat, and feel satiated.)
3. Yoga philosophy helps us see the body as the vessel of the soul.
4. Likewise, asana helps us recognize our body as the most powerful tool for peace and strength we’ll ever own.
5. So, with that in mind, are we gonna jam junk in there? Probably not.
Best of all, with this appreciation of our body, when we look in the mirror, we’re a heckuva lot more likely to love what we see–no changes necessary. Which is the whole point, really.
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2 Comments
I am a yoga teacher who is not exactly a yoga journal model. Yoga has helped me find self acceptance and self esteem through my practice. Of course my body changes as I move along in my practice as well. I'm quite thankful that I went to teacher training before I had my "dream body" so I could follow my passion for yoga and teaching. Great post. I remember starting to find that feeling of pride at what my body could do for me in the yoga room.
yes! I remember that first feeling too, and the moment when I realized my feelings towards my body, and my entire self, were changing–for good. namaste to you Anna