What are the benefits of yoga and meditation? We have all heard wellness teacher talk and talk and talk about all these insane, seemingly unachievable practices.
But what if I told you, it’s all worth it and so much easier than you think?
This is my story.
Stressed, overworked and anxious: Before yoga and meditation
Nowadays, suffering from severe anxiety seems like a very, very common thing to say. How many people out there will say that they are feeling anxious?
Maybe it’s the constant need of meeting targets, maybe it’s the fact that we are constantly working and glorifying the idea of overworking…
But the truth remains, I am really, really anxious. I was feeling scared, almost, and the idea of tomorrow was enough to keep me awake.
Was I going to lose my job? Was I going to disappoint my parents? What about my wife, is she still happy with me, despite the fact that I am constantly telling her of how scared I am about every little thing?
And it’s uncontrollable. You see, stress is a downward spiral, when you mix it with anxiety. It’s like running on a treadmill, feeling tired, but you don’t want to turn the treadmill off because you don’t know what happens if you press that big red button, and you actually don’t want to know.
And even the most anxious of us is just a human, after all. And my stellar work performance began declining.
benefits of Yoga and meditation: A last resort, or the answer I needed at the beginning?
Now, what would you do, if you saw yourself in a slowly sinking position? Would you leave the ship, or would you mend the tiny little gap that is letting the water in?
Guess what I did.
And yes, needless to say, I was having breakfast with coffee and paracetamol. Then, some nootropics to keep myself concentrated at work, since my antidepressants made me too tired.
Then, also some more coffee, because why not. They keep me focused and my work is good while I am focused.
Was it a solution? Yes. Was it sustainable? Not even in the slightest.
And so I turned to things I never knew I would have approached in my entire life: I was looking for the benefits of yoga and meditation.
Five minutes a day of yoga before bed, five minutes of meditation in the morning after my coffee.
That is how I, an absolute beginner also quite skeptic about this whole “yoga and meditation” thing, turned my life around in less than three weeks.
Benefit number 1: You disconnect
While I am doing yoga, I am disconnecting from reality. Right now, the only things that exist are just my mat, my yoga instructor and the soothing music that I grew a liking to.
No work. No deadlines. Nothing at all. It’s like I forgot all of that even exists in my life, and all I did to achieve this result is start with yoga.
It’s so much more than just “Not thinking”. My body is somewhat more conditioned to what yoga and meditation have done for me.
Even when I am not doing yoga, the thoughts of my duties simply… pass. They just go through my mind and not affect me in the slightest.
Before, every time I thought of “I have to do this”, I felt anxious about the idea of not achieving it. Now, whenever the thought of chores passes through my mind, I am just aware of it.
Impervious to stress? No. Yoga and meditation won’t transform you into a god among humans. But will it shield you from the world that stresses you so much? You can bet.
Benefit number 2: Happier with yourself
Despite yoga having so many physical health benefits brilliantly written on this blog, (ADD LINK), let’s focus on what yoga and meditation did for me, mentally.
I was happy. I am happy. I will be happy.
Isn’t it all about happiness, at the end of the day? And with the peace that came from yoga and meditation, came the greatest benefit of them all: I felt so much less anxiety, so much more positive.
It wasn’t an overnight thing, but damn, the difference was there, and it was bright as day. How did I notice I was happier? Well, stay tuned, because here it comes.
Benefit number 3: Connect more
You know what happens when you think less about work, and become more mindful of yourself? It becomes easier to connect with others.
And that is exactly what happened to me.
Yoga and meditation gave me the mental health boost I needed to make those connections. And now, my idea of “evening” isn’t working by myself until I fall asleep on the laptop. It’s going out. Having a drink. Laughing, hugging, kissing.
Does it sound stupid, when I write it like this? Yes, it does, I am the first to say that. But once you connect with others, everything just feels easier.
The best way to connect with others is through common interests. Just like you are reading my story, a thousand people out there are. And I would love to show you the best way to grab all of the benefits of yoga and meditation, while also connecting with others. And it’s all in one week.
I appreciated it when you shared that doing yoga can help improve your mental health by keeping you healthy and happy. My friend just mentioned the other day that she is worried about her sister who is dealing with depression since a few months ago after losing her job. I will suggest to her getting an online yoga class for her sister so she can improve her mental health condition.