Journal 8: Definitions of Yoga

        This week I participated in my yoga class via Zoom. As the weeks go by I keep finding my yoga classes becoming more fun and easy to do. I feel that my range of motion and flexibility has increased greatly. My mental clarity has increased as well. I feel less stressed throughout the week as compared to where I was a couple months ago before starting yoga.
        In my practice space yoga is defined as a relaxing and stress relieving ritual. It is a ritual that when being done is the only thing that matters and anything that was important before is no longer a thought. The kinds of connections that are made to this definition and my group practice is that they both focus on keeping the mind clear and thinking only of the stretches and postures being done. Both are meant to relax the body and mind thus making oneself better. Both practices make me feel relaxed and stress-free.
        There definitely are connections made outside of the context of the practice space. In my everyday life there are moments where I get stressed and I think about my practice space where I clear my mind of all my worries and stresses and it helps me get through the stressful times. People can use yoga and their practice spaces to help them get through tough times or struggles because yoga allows a person to free their mind from stress. Yoga also helps better a person's ability to cope with stress and how much stress one can take. I feel that yoga allows me to handle more than I could before starting participating in yoga. 

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