There are two things I love in this world…yoga and writing. So it goes without saying that I have spent a lot of time thinking about how beneficial yoga is to me. I spend hours on the computer focusing in on creativity. I sometimes forget to stop sitting in stagnancy. As I write all about yoga, helping others with their health and wellness, I sometimes forgetto take care of myself. It just takes a few minutes on the mat to counteract all the abuse I put on my body from being a full-timewriter. My mind, body, and soul are rejuvenated. I have found that yoga affects my writing in a variety of different ways. Here’s what it’s done for me. Maybe it can help you too.

Yoga Relaxes You

You may have a lot of deadlines as a writer which can breed stress. Yoga has been scientifically proven through a variety of studies to relax you. It is so effective that it is now being used to help people with serious anxiety disorders. It can help with depression too. Yoga eases the nervous system, both helping the GABA receptors (natural chemicals that relax the body) and easing the parasympathetic nervous system (fight/flight response). Through certain poses that target areas of the body that hold onto your emotions (like stress) and breathing, yoga can fully relax your body. 

It has helped me to also be more mindful when it comes to managing how I cope with deadlines. As a writer, there is either no work or a lot of work due. Both are stressful to manage. During these times, I make sure to get on the mat every day. I put some focus on being mindful at the end of my Yoga practiceso I can calm myself down. No matter what kind of practice I do, I always leave the mat feeling better than when I began.

Yoga Enhances Creativity

As a writer, I find it challenging to get into the creative state on demand. If too many other things are going on around me, my whole day is a write-off. I have found that when I can’t properly, it helps to get on the mat and do a good yoga routine. When I’m finished, I am more productive and often the words flow more easily. Creativity comes when our minds and still and present. Yoga helps us eliminate all that mind chatter and allows us to find our center.

Yoga helps you to let go of whatever distractions are causing your creativity to feel stunted. When you have a calm mind, you will have more clarity and more inspiring, creative thoughts.

Yoga Eases Neck and Shoulder Pain

Sitting at the computer all day causes me a lot of neck and shoulder pain. I think this is common for anyone who sits at a desk for long periods. I will often do a few short poses when I need a five-minute break. Eagle arms areeffective in quickly easing tension in the shoulders and upper back. It helps myneck as well. Some neck rolls help ease the tension in the neck too. 

When you take just a little time to nurture your body with your favorite yoga poses, you will find that you can press forward and be more productive. Nagging pain anywhere in the body can be a major distraction. Stretch it out a few times a day with poses that specifically target the neck and shoulders. 

Yoga Releases Tension in the Hips

Sitting at a desk all day causes a lot of tension in the hips. This kind of tension can cause that pain in your lower back, your hips, and your hamstrings. Your body will be affected all around your hips which can be debilitating. Also, feelings of stress, tension, and anxiety manifest in your hips. When you release the tension here, you also get a sense of calm.

The hips are connected to many large muscles that can get extremely tight. Yoga poses for the hips may often seem challenging because of the sheer tightness. This is why you must work on relaxing them and practicing yoga enough that you can make them more flexible. If you do nothing else, work on easing all that tension in your hips. You’ll be able to sit for longer and you’ll alleviate pain in so many other parts of your body. Warrior poses help to ease the tension in your hips in a few different ways so try doing them daily. For a major stretch, Pigeon pose is excellent. It’s a great pose for doing before you go to bed because it’s done on the ground and is really relaxing.

These are the ways that yoga has helped me. I am not sure if I would be able to handle sitting down and writing every day if I didn’t practice yoga daily. I counteract all the damage I do to my body while sitting and focusing on researching and writing. Yoga has allowed me to flourish in my writing career through my ability to be creative and of course pain-free.

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Last Update: Saturday, 18th September 2021