Yoga Journey + Fave Free Yoga Classes
You can have all the success & money in the world, but if you do not have comfort in your own body, nothing else matters.
YOGA, where to start? As a teenager, I would look up to yogis who were zen, toned and generally looked happy! I wished to get bendy and incorporate yoga a part of my daily routine. Fast forward 10 years, and I guess I can call myself a YOGI .
I started getting into yoga in Bar school. I was a total stress ball, my days comprised of 14 hours of sitting in front of a desk and it was taking a tole on my body. I needed a release and yoga was it.
I am by no means a pro acro yogi who can do bendy & fancy Instagram worthy poses, but I am getting there! I believe Yoga should be part of everyone’s health routine, no matter the level of fitness or flexibility. You can be an athlete, someone who hasn’t exercised a day in their life, an adrenaline junkie, a senior, wtv the case may be, YOGA is one-size-fits-all. I can’t stress how beneficial yoga has been in my healing journey. I really believe I healed 50 % from diet and lifestyle and 50% through the mind and physical body.
Let’s face it, we are living in the craziest, busiest of times. Our attention is getting pulled from one stimulus to the next. Between cellphones, laptops, iPads, and now watches, we are constantly switched on. EMFs, (electromagnetic fields) released by wifi towers and electronic devices deplete our energy. Ask yourself why millions of people are diagnosed every day with ADD and ADHD. There is no such thing as a drug or an amphetamine deficiency, only nutritional. Ever notice when you’ve spent way too much time near technology, how drained you feel?
I know personally as much as I would like to, I am bound by my laptop and phone. So we know we can’t fully live off the grid and leave all technology behind (well, unless you’re Amish). What we can do is to SWITCH OFF regularly, take the time to recenter and ground ourselves. Among a long list of benefits which I’ve included below, yoga helps stretch stiff joints, tone and elongate muscles, correct computer spine and best of all, teach us the proper way to breathe.
Health Benefits of Yoga
Detoxification: breathing techniques enable the intake of more oxygen. Twisting positions clean out digestive organs
Relaxation + Reduces Stress: boosts relaxation, focus and relieves anxiety – makes us better humans
Improves Sleep: no joke, try doing 15 minutes of yin yoga before sleep and you will have a restful slumber
Lymphatic Drainage and Circulation: Rejuvenating, gives you a natural glow
Flexibility, balance, strength, stability and mental clarity
Improves Digestion
Accesibility of Yoga
What I love about yoga is you can literally do it anywhere. You just roll out your mat and go for it. When I don’t have a mat with me, I just use the floor. Even while studying at the library, I would take 5 minutes breaks and do yogi stretches on the floor. It made me SANE.
Its FREE
With the advent of social platforms like Youtube, its never been a better time to exercise from home. At first I stopped going to the gym for cost efficient purposes as I was saving up for my travels. But then, I got so accustomed to the convenience of working out from home that I stopped going to yoga studios. I mean I still love to try new studios when I travel, but for the most part, flowing at home is just so convenient. Having an already packed schedule, rolling out my mat whenever I feel like it is a huge bonus. Over the years, I’ve tested quite a few classes on YouTube. Some resonated with me more than others. From the accents and voices of the teachers (I know its weird but hey some voices annoy me too much to be zen) to the style of teaching, length of the class to the level of difficulty of the Yogis on YouTube.
The following channels are listed from beginner to advanced.
Alo Yoga
All levels
All kinds of classes and various levels. Classes are usually short, range from 20 to 45 minutes.
WHY I LOVE IT: lots of variety and content, curated for every level
Five Parks Yoga
Level I + II
All classes are set in exotic places, range from 10 minutes to 1 hour. Erin is a good teacher. She creates content according to requests and offers complete classes.
WHY I LOVE IT: variety of moods – morning, energizing, relaxing and for various physical needs – sports injuries, athletic enhancement, yoga for ski, yoga without wrist use etc.
Udaya
All Levels
This has become my all time favorite channel. Classes range from 30 minutes to 1 hour classes. Lots of variety. Classes in different language such as English, Spanish, and German, how cool is that?
WHY I LOVE IT: teachers are amazing, classes are complete, technique is well delivered and classes are filmed in real time with a group of students so you feel part of a live class. Voices are nice and calming, some classes even have background music.
