Almost a year ago I set out to join a Yoga studio to start doing it on a regular basis. The only experience I had prior was doing it on the Nintendo Wii several years ago. I knew it was beneficial for me but did not realize how much it could have an impact on my life so positively. I also wanted to try and find a Yoga teacher that was heart based. I went to Google and searched for heart based Yoga. One teacher in the area came up in particular and so I looked into the studio she taught at and joined. I have been super surprised at how great Yoga is. I am still going to Ambika Devi Daniella whose class is called Body Temple Yoga after all of these months and it has been great. The studio is called Breathe in Los Gatos. I also enjoy Kundalini Yoga with Charanpal Kaur which concentrates on the flow of energy through the body. It is very energizing and relaxing all at the same time. Both teachers also do sound healing workshops which I have attended and those are great too. They both play instruments and sing while we work on our inner selves. And there is always some theme for the session which helps in our personal lives tremendously. They both keep track of astrology and help us through certain times of the year. Definitely worth the money to attend. I feel like I keep on becoming the best version of myself due to the work these teachers put out for us. It is amazing!
The core
I feel that physically my body is at its best when I am consistent with doing Yoga. It strengthens my core and keeps my balance in tip top shape. It has helped me lose weight in the right places. It may not seem like a big workout when you look at it from a distance but it is definitely not easy to keep some of those poses for very long. Even without the heat turned up everyone seems to break into a sweat, some more than others.. 
I have become more flexible but have a long way to go. Some may say to themselves “I am not flexible enough to do Yoga” but really Yoga will make you more flexible so you just have to jump in and do your best and you will feel better and better each time.
The heart
I have had a strong knowing for quite a while that more lies within the heart than we were taught in our early years. It is a place where love is and when you go there it seems you can do anything your heart desires. The classes I attend help with opening the heart even more. I think many of us get damaged hearts early on in life from some circumstance or situation and the ego closes up the heart so we can survive. Living your life with an open heart is really the happiest way to live in my opinion. Part of my practice involves paying attention to where certain thoughts and feeling are coming from. Was that from my brain or was it from the heart? I ask myself. Usually I get the answer fairly quickly and can move on. I can process a certain situation and grow from it rather than be hindered from it. And even though life may sometimes be more difficult to bear with an open heart, I would rather be living than be closed up and dying. Yoga helps me with this aspect of my life.
Blockage
Our bodies are amazing temples.. When you start to listen to your body you can feel what needs more work than other spots. I am no expert on this but it has become clear to me that thoughts, feelings, and emotions get stored in your body and can cause blockages. Your muscles and energy points can prevent the flow of energy or prevent you from being flexible. It is no wonder that kids are so flexible, they don’t have those blockages yet built up over time. Yoga seems to unravel years of neglectful tendencies we may have stored up over time. This then allows us to be happier and we are able to love more freely to ourselves and others around us.
Meditation
My favorite part of Yoga is Shavasana when you get to lay on your back and relax. It is the time when the good music comes on and we can feel how the practice has affected us. Some people fall asleep.. Within this time as well as other times we have the opportunity to meditate which to me means look at what is coming into our thoughts and process them rather than let them be swept under the rug to be dealt with another day. And there is a saying that Yoga does not end when you roll up your mat, it continues throughout your day. You have the opportunity to process things you wouldn’t normally feel like you have to process as the day goes on. I like to think that I meditate every day all day so that I can live in the moment and feel what I need to feel to get to the next phase of my life. It is never ending really. But just knowing that this makes a positive impact on my life is well worth using all the tools we have at our fingertips to stay in that mindset. Yoga for me is one of those tools.
Overall Yoga is something that has helped me become a better person. It has opened my eyes to new possibilities and opportunities in life. It has helped me be more balanced in mind, body, and spirit than ever before. I would recommend it to anyone!
Live better, be happy, and love all that is!
Namaste and Sat Nom!
For your reference:
Body Temple Yoga with Ambika Devi Daniella
Kundalini Yoga with Charanpal Kaur
Breathe Los Gatos