Jun 7, 2013 3 min read

1. When we finally manage to fit exercise into our busy schedules, we want fast results to prove our time was well spent. It’s so easy to get discouraged when there seems to be no results, and then we usually end up quitting. With yoga, however, each and every time you practice, you experience results. Whether they are physical, mental or emotional, after every class you walk out feeling better in some way. Who wouldn’t love to see instant payoff for their efforts?

2. Some days we want to kick some butt and then other days, not so much. How many of us are guilty of skipping our exercise on these “lazy days?” Yoga encourages us to listen to our bodies and allows us easy days when needed. One of my teachers always says, “Even if you simply sit for an hour and breath deeply, you are doing yoga and you will feel benefits.” Now that’s a workout program I can get behind!

3. I’m sure there are other forms of working out that will create bigger muscles and a tighter core at a quicker pace, but with that kind of pedal-to-the-metal exercising, how much are we missing out on, all for the sake of vanity? Yoga connects us on a deeper level with our bodies, helping us prevent injury and correct patterns of holding and areas of tension inside us that may have gone unnoticed otherwise. Yoga allows us to learn about ourselves from the inside out.

4. I have never ended a yoga practice and not felt better in some way. I will admit, I have even practiced yoga hungover from celebrating the night before, but wouldn’t you know it, yoga is the best hangover cure I have found! Bad moods, headaches, stiff and sore muscles and achy joints – yoga has a way of bringing some sort of relief for most all ailments. I might even call it the cure-all miracle elixir.

5. I can’t count how many times people have told me the biggest reason for not trying yoga is because they can’t turn their brains off. They think all the quiet reflection would just stress them out even more. If you’ve never had this problem, go ahead and raise your hand. (I bet not one of you reading this raised your hand!) The fact is, we all have trouble turning our brain off sometimes, so their is no type of person better suited for yoga then another. Nobody is perfect, and while we may have a jumble of thoughts in our brain, with a little practice, we can adjust our focus and learn to detach ourselves from this chaos. Even if it’s just for a short reprieve, you’d be amazed how refreshing it is to take a break from our thoughts for five minutes. Even the most stressed of us, with a little practice, can find this little piece of paradise.

Bethany Traynor is a yoga instructor, longtime dancer and resident of Chartiers Township. She teaches Hatha yoga at Sri Yantra Yoga Studio in Houston.