10 reasons to do yoga every damn day

To help combat stress, here’s why I need yoga every damn day…

There are a few constants in my life. Firstly, I have a desk job. So whether I’m sat down writing or at my day job in an office, I’m hunched over my desk for hours at end. The second is that I’m a runner with the stiff, knackered body to prove it. Finally, the stresses of city life are, from time to time, prone to getting me down, and no one likes crying in the bathroom at work. Overall, constantly bouncing around from one thing to the next, enthusiastic about life while simultaneously overwhelmed is frankly exhausting.

My demanding lifestyle has left me with a foggy brain, tired eyes and the energy of a really lazy sloth, not to mention a stiff body. And that is no way to live your life. So I’ve decided something needs to change. I need more balance and I think yoga is the way to get there. Yoga. Every. Damn. Day. Why yoga? Why every day? Here’s why…

1. Not very long ago I woke up and realised all the rushing around in my life had meant I’d lost touch with my true self and my purpose. Yoga is all about unity and uniting your body and yourself, so I’m hoping it’ll help me get back in touch with who I am.

2. When your life is scheduled down to the minute, it can be hard to take a moment and breathe. There are so many times looking back that I wish I’d had the discipline just to breathe for a moment. I see yoga as a way to get into that habit and to get some headspace.

3. I love to run, but I’m not always good at looking after my body, strength training sporadically and being less than committed to stretching, despite writing about the topic regularly. Yoga is great for runners because it has the potential to develop strength and flexibility, protecting against injury and improving performance.

4. There’s a growing body of evidence backing up yoga’s mental health benefits. As someone who’s had issues with anxiety for most of their life, I am always keen to try something that might enhance my sense of wellbeing and keep those nasty gremlins at bay.

5. On top of all my other commitments I am studying part time for a master’s degree. Apparently yoga can help sharpen the mind and improves memory. Anything is worth a shot with a new term looming.

6. With a life that is set to ‘go’ constantly, it’s not surprising that sometimes I find it hard to sleep or have very restless sleep. I hope the calming and relaxing properties of yoga will help soothe my mind ready for lots of nice restful sleep!

7. I really like to feel positive, but for whatever reason, some days it’s hard to see the bright side and a big dark cloud looms overhead. Yoga has been shown to improve mood and lessen anxiety. If I’m not Little Miss Sunshine by the end of this, I’ll be really disappointed!

8. I won’t lie, I’m not always a fan of my body. My belly in particular if we’re going to be specific. Apparently yoga can help boost your body confidence by helping you become more aware of how it feels and what it can do. So rather than wish my belly away I think it’d be nice to feel a bit more OK with it.

9. I am desperate to counteract all that time hunched over a desk and stretch out!

10. Most of all, I just really like yoga pants. So it’s about time I put my very extensive collection to good use!