Why You Should Try Yoga

Learn what motivates many yogis to keep showing up on their yoga mats and why you should try yoga.

Why do yoga students come back to their yoga mats day after day, practice after practice? Of course, there are many reasons people continue to show up to a yoga class, but in my 16 years of practicing yoga and 14 years of teaching yoga, I have found two primary reasons.

Yoga helps people (and me):

1. Feel better.

2. Sleep better.

These things seem so simple, but add a dozen or more to-dos to your list every day, and life can grow to be extraordinarily complex. Too overwhelming. Too much. Too often.

Enter Savasana (Final Relaxation Pose). Savasana provides the space to understand that we are enough and we do enough, and it gives us permission to be and breathe in the moment. It’s the No. 1 pose I recommend to help manage stress, feel better and sleep better.

Whether you practice it at the end of a yoga class or on its own, the massive benefits of this pose are worth the time it takes. Savasana shows you how you can feel and think when you are in a state of relaxation, much different from the constant doing most of us are used to.

Practice It: Savasana (Final Relaxation Pose)

• Begin by lying on the ground with your legs extended and at least hip-distance apart.

• Bring your arms a few inches from your torso and turn your palms up.

• Close your eyes. Watch the rhythm of your breath. Notice how your belly rises with each inhale and sinks toward your spine with each exhale.

• Stay in this pose for five to 10 minutes, longer if you have the time today.

• Reawaken quietly by bringing sensation to your fingers and toes. Circle your wrists and ankles. Turn your head from side to side.

• Bring your knees to your chest and roll to one side. Pause. Breathe.

• Come to a comfortable seat.

Those who resist this pose the most or fall asleep right away need it the most.

Take a yoga class with me.

Note that this website is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Speak with your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine or wellness plan.