Why Yoga Is My Favourite Hobby

The term ‘yoga’ comes from the Western world. Yoga is a traditional meditation which originates in India; yoga can be done physically, mentally or spiritually. Mainly, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism practise yoga as they have a broad variety of schools and goals and is said to be developed around the sixth or fifth centuries BCE. Since then, yoga has become a worldwide meditation; the first Hindu teacher toured Europe and the United States in the 1890’s and it has been on the active interest to other countries, more so New England. In the 1920’s new researches have shown that companies have come to study yoga as a science. More recently in the 20th century, yoga is now being used as a form of exercise which formed a trend in Europe and North America; this has increased the schools and practises around India. Barack Obama stated ‘‘Yoga has become a universal language of spiritual exercise in the United States’’. Now there is an international day for yoga which lands on 21st June.

The one main reason I got into yoga was a very deep and meaningful experience for me and have experienced yoga’s healing power in a real way. To date, I have never been without my family or out of my village back in Punjab; only to school and back home. I then found out, to carry on with my studies, that I will be leaving my family in India to travel half way across the world all alone to Canada to start College. I was in so much shock and starting to suffer from anxiety and overthought every little thing such as, ‘I don’t know anyone, what if something happens to me, I will miss my family too much’. My family tried to reassure me that I will be fine however it didn’t work; others suggested other methods and treatments to see if they were the right ones for me however failed. Finally, someone in my village advised me to start yoga; to try breathing exercises. This consisted of meditation, chanting and internal cleansing practises. I wasn’t too keen on this at first as I had never done or knew anyone who had done yoga; I gave it a go and after the time 20 minutes of doing this, my body felt so different and as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I felt my body had been cleansed out from all the anxiety and stress that I had.

Now yoga is my favourite hobby; this is due to many reasons but mainly the health effects of my body. I, very quickly, get stressed; this is caused by many factors such as family, school or situations which are out of my control however I feel so peaceful and stress free when I do yoga. Also, it is good for my health and great exercise; a great way to socialise with similar people who I can open up to and talk about my stress related problems. I am able to sleep at night without any tension or overthinking. I have recently found out that yoga is good for high blood pressure as it relaxes your body and soul. Also, flexibility and muscle strengthening, and toning are other benefits of doing yoga. I personally think people should try yoga, even if it is once a week; there are a lot of benefits in doing so even if you do not suffer from stress or sleepless nights. It is good for your body physically and mentally and I have read there are over 40 reasons why doing yoga occasionally is a benefit in your life i. e. : body structure, increasing blood flow, drops blood pressure, helps sleep deeper and gives your lungs room to breathe. The main reason for myself is to prevent stress which is why I love to do yoga and is my favourite hobby.