If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you know that exercising is much more than just a physical experience. Coming to the mat, for example, is usually an exercise in having a moment of peace and tranquility for the mind while becoming physically fit in your body. The same goes for finding that time to relax when you go for a run. But what are these workouts teaching us about the bigger picture? Read ahead for a few lessons you should be taking with you long after your workout is done.
12 Life Lessons You Should Be Gaining from Your Workout
- Breathe: Sometimes taking a deep breath in and letting it all out is the only thing you can do. And sometimes doing just that can bring incredible clarity. Don’t underestimate the simplicity of taking a moment to gain peace and perspective.
- Lean into it: It’s better to work through challenging times rather than fighting against them. Take on the challenge and see how you can come up with a solution. Work through it, not against it.
- Find what feels good: Really as simple as that. There’s no need to continue torturing ourselves with things we know aren’t good for us. If it doesn’t feel good, chances are it’s really not good for you.
- Channel your inner warrior: We all have one. Sometimes you just need to look within and channel your inner badass.
- You’re stronger than you think: No, really. Life will test and challenge you sometimes to remind you of that.
- You can probably do more than you think: See above. You’ll be surprised sometimes to see how capable you really are if you just allow yourself to test your perceived limits.
- Even 20 minutes to yourself can change your whole outlook: Giving yourself at least 20 minutes every day where you have nothing to do but sit and breathe can be downright magical. At the very least, soothing and recharging.
- Find some space: Give yourself the space you need to do what you need to do, to focus on the task at hand, to follow your path. Whatever the case, we all need some space to just do our thing.
- Focus: Drown out the noise, look within, and just focus. Forget the chatter. Be present and get rid of the distractions that do nothing but hold us back from making real progress.
- Just showing up already gets you ahead: You’ll often find a million excuses as to why you can’t or shouldn’t do X, Y or Z. But showing up and getting it done always feels rewarding.
- Practice makes perfect: Just keep at it. You won’t be perfect the first time, but hardly anyone ever is. Learning, crafting, and practicing will always yield better results.
- When all else fails, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and lift your hands in prayer. Yep. Works every time.
What kind of clarity do you gain from your workouts?
