Woman doing yoga by pool while another woman assists her

I’ve been practicing yoga since 2016 and it always makes me feel better. I love forgetting about all of my stressors for 45 minutes to an hour and just leaving it all on my mat. A good yoga class always leaves me feeling lighter.

I never once thought that yoga was evil or that I would go to Hell for doing it. However, I have come to find out that there are many religious people who think this. Some believe that practicing yoga means you are practicing Hinduism as well which is, in their minds, evil. I think these people are grossly misinformed and if you’re on the fence about doing yoga for those reasons then I’m here to show you the light.

Even though yoga has ancient roots in Hinduism, it has evolved into many different forms in modern times. There’s goat yoga, children’s yoga, chair yoga, beer yoga, basically any type of yoga you could think of exists. You do not have to chant or focus on any idols to enjoy yoga. Some people even add prayer into their practice. Just find what you are comfortable with and enjoy the benefits you’ll receive.

About 4 years ago I was in a minor car accident. I made it out without any bumps and bruises but I tweaked my back pretty good. The doctors gave me something for the pain but about a year later I was still having back spasms. I went back to the doctor and they suggested I go to physical therapy. I started going to physical therapy twice a week and while there I would perform different stretches that would help to stretch my tight back muscles.

It did not take long for me to realize that these stretches were yoga poses that I was already familiar with! Now, how could exercises that were created to ease my pain be evil? If anything, they were a Godsend!

Yoga is a practice to calm your body and mind and in today’s modern times it can look however you want it to. There’s a myriad of classes to choose from to suit your specific needs. And if you don’t want to physically attend a class there are plenty of apps or YouTube videos to choose from. (You’ll be able to try my YouTube videos soon!)

How will you customize your practice for your lifestyle?