With international yoga day coming next Tuesday I decided to look into exactly how yoga can make a difference in one’s life. As someone who’s always been into running and traditional weight lifting I’ve often struggled with flexibility and many friends have recommended yoga as a method of cross training to improve performance. What I hadn’t caught on to was just how much yoga can benefit someone outside of the gym, whether it be the development of a more balanced metabolism, a boost in immunity, or the foundation of a healthier, happier, lifestyle.
I sat down with Natashia Steenkamp who has been a yoga instructor since 2011 and asked her about her experiences with the discipline. “Yoga isn’t something you just practice on the mat, you take it with you everywhere”, she told me. I asked Natashia if there was anything specific that yoga has helped her overcome and she described in detail the mindfulness that she’s developed through practicing yoga on a daily basis. “I’m always thinking in the present. I don’t get weighed down thinking about the past, or worrying about the future and the things I still aim to accomplish”.
Natashia was trained at Sembrando Semillas con Yoga (Planting seeds with yoga) in the mountains of Peru. For many instructors yoga is much more than exercise. It’s a way of life, something they have traveled across the world to learn more about, and a state of mind which they carry with every day.
Here’s a more concise list of some of yoga’s many benefits, take a look and I’m sure you’ll find something that could improve your quality of life…
-Lowers blood sugar
-Helps with focus
-Maintains balance
-Decreases tension in limbs
-Boosts one’s immune system
-Provides participants with a deeper sleep
-Increases self esteem
-Increases peace of mind
-Helps keep you drug free
-Encourages self care, and much more
Natashia offers private lessons and tips stemming from her experiences with yoga. You can find her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Followyourblisscr/?pnref=lhc or email her at
Below are links to several yoga themed blogs if you’d like to read more about this fascinating discipline!