Five Things Yoga Has Done For Me (that I didn’t expect)

When I first started practicing yoga, I expected to get out of it what most people do when they start a new exercise regime - a tight ass and a lower number on the scale. I could never have guessed that yoga would give me so much more. Here, what yoga has done for me:

1. A higher number on the scale. I expected to lose weight when I started practicing yoga regularly. As the numbers pretty much stayed the same, I wondered if I needed to work harder. Then the numbers started going up and I realized what was happening. Muscle weighs more than fat. As my “mommy tummy” shrank, my muscles were getting stronger, resulting in a slightly higher number on the weigh scale.

2. Peace of Mind. I really started to hit the mat when I realized how good I felt emotionally after a practice. I became aware that yoga was so much more than just exercise, but a state of mind. During stressful times, I am able to remember to not clench my jaw and to look at things from an outside perspective. I have even been able to embrace my spiritual side, something I’ve always struggled with.

3. Better Sex. Things were actually pretty good in that department in the first place (wink-wink nudge-nudge), but after practicing regularly, I realized how much better it could be. Yoga is known to increase libido, and my hips no longer want to seize up half-way through Reverse Cow-Girl. TMI (too much info)? TFB (too fucking bad). J

4. Faster Recovery. Being on immunosuppressant drugs, I can get sick pretty easily. But I haven’t been. My immunity is way up there and I haven’t needed as much sleep as I used to. If my kids keep me up all night for one reason or another, I’m actually okay the next day. I’m freakin’ tired, but I don’t have that “I’m gonna die” feeling like I used to.

5. A Better Curler. Okay, not really. I curled six games in a Ladies’ Bonspiel on the weekend. Let’s just say curling is not my forte. But I did have one random girl tell me I was quite flexible in my hip flexors. Which allowed me to have a nice delivery coming out of the hack. And then it was all down-hill from there, but the point is, yoga is making me better at other sports.

What has yoga done for you?