24 Lessons You Can Learn from Your Yoga Mat

There are so many lessons learned on the mat during yoga practice, that can be applied to living life. The beautiful thing about yoga is that it is equally as challenging and exhausting mentally as it is physically. Although most people go into a yoga class with physical benefits in mind, what actually makes the biggest impact is the spiritual calmness that you find. Many lessons on the mat parallel to everyday life. To this day, I am constantly learning life lessons while practicing yoga, and constantly challenging myself to explore how these lessons can be used in all aspects of my life.

• Yoga affects us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
• Fear is our biggest barrier.
• Let go of expectations and attachments.
• Strength and flexibility are vital.
• Go with the flow, don’t fight against life but go with it.
• We are what we think about.
• Let go of the past and don’t dwell on the unknown future.
• Know your limits.
• Know the difference between pain and discomfort.
• Sit with discomfort and breathe through it.
• Go beyond your comfort zone.
• Mindfulness is key.
• Listen to your body.
• Awareness of negative habits and negative self talk.
• Better eating habits.
• Better care of the planet.
• Taking better care of ourselves and those around us.
• We are all connected, everything living is connected.
• Life is short, be in the moment.
• Yoga gives you what you need, not what you want.
• Relaxing is just as important as exercising.
• It doesn’t need to be forced – it just needs to align with where your body and mind are at in that moment.
• We are exactly where we need to be at this very moment.
• To listen, to pause, to notice, to move from your mat and make a difference in your life.

Yoga gives us a better perspective on the universe surrounding us and creates peace within that we all seek. It’s a daily practice to hold perspective and continue to search for understanding of the bigger picture that we call life.