Why I Choose Yoga (And No It Isn’t Because It’s A Reason To Buy Lululemons)

More often than not when you picture someone who would do yoga you may immediately think of either a Greenpeace ‘hippie’ chick or a bored housewife in her Lululemons. You may also not see yoga as a workout either. Looks too easy, right?

I started trying out yoga consistently last year through an app that offered free tutorials. The videos weren’t cheesy and explained how you should be positioning your body to get the best stretch or form. After doing those videos for a month or two on my own, I felt like I could stomach a class with my sister. So we tried out the weekly hour-long yoga class at our apartment gym and now (7-8 months later) we are regulars. She goes as a way to stretch and work on her flexibility, but it is a supplement to her everyday workouts that are more driven by weights. I go as part of my yoga ‘practice’.

I do not love cardio workouts and never have. Weights don’t really motivate me, but I’ll do some on occasion. Since trying yoga I have found something that gives me motivation to work towards more while positively affecting my overall health and mental wellness. Whether it’s a new pose that I want to build up to, strengthen my ability to do a pose I know, or just increase balance and flexibility, yoga gives me both a feeling of calm and  re-energization. Plus it give me a sense of accomplishment and drive to get better. The added bonus I have found throughout the last month (as I’ve increased to practicing 5 days each week) is that my anxiety levels have been reduced! Where I would normally have ‘freak out’ moments or tough days, I have seen those decrease due to the consistency of my workouts. If I feel like I have some of that anxiousness coming over me or know that a trigger for my anxiety is coming up, I can stop and take 15 or 20 minutes to step away and do yoga to calm my body and mind.

Now I don’t mean to sound salesman-y with this little soapbox moment. The point of all of this is to say: try something new without judging it or worrying about how you will be perceived for doing it!  If I would have continued thinking of yoga as something that only rich housewives do to fill time, I never would have found such a great way to get my body and mind feeling so great and would still be battling high levels of anxiety without relief. Whether you have been curious about a workout, hobby, or anything else, try it without fear! The best thing that comes out of it is that you would add something you enjoy into your life. If you don’t love it, you tried something new and can give something else a chance until you find exactly what works for you.

Outfit Details:

Pale Pink Bra – Target (My exact bra is from last year, but they have a similar style here)

Black Leggings – Lululemon (Trust me, I see the irony. But they are buttery soft leggings!)