Why 15 Minutes Daily Yoga?
Our bodies begin to age from the very day we are born. Starting from the age of 20, we lose about 1% to 2% of our muscle mass every year—unless, of course, we correctly engage our muscles and maintain our balance.
Beyond this physical body of flesh and bone that we see, we also possess energy and thought bodies—ones we are often unaware of and fail to give the importance they deserve.
Modern humans spend the vast majority of their day living with stress. By nature, if we consider a day to be 24 hours, we should only spend about 3 hours in a state of stress, leaving the remaining 21 hours stress-free. After all, a lion or a predator won't be chasing us for 8 hours straight. In nature, "stress" means the human is either hunting or trying to survive an unexpected threat. However, for someone today who has to spend 8 hours in professional life or at school, the ratio of living with stress is far beyond what it should be.
These stressed and stress-free states are called the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems. The Sympathetic nervous system isn't quite as "sympathetic-friendly" as its name suggests; it prepares us for defense in moments of danger—heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, breathing accelerates, and pupils dilate. The body doesn't just do this when being chased by a panther. Work stress, the rush to be somewhere on time, constantly watching TV, checking phones, the frantic pace of city life... Does this sound familiar?
On the other hand, the Parasympathetic Nervous System calms the body and restores balance once the danger has passed. Our heart rate slows down, breathing becomes steady, and pupils constrict.
Through movements, yoga strengthens our body and activates moves our life energy with fascia system, while breath control calms our mind. When practiced regularly, this calm breath and steady heart rate directly impact our overall life energy. Once it becomes a habit, the body can quickly transition into this state of calm whenever needed, even without stepping onto the mat.
To give an example from my own life: those who knew my old self remember me as someone who flared up quickly—someone you wouldn't want to be around when I was angry. Even hours or a day after an incident, my mind would remain occupied with it, wondering, "Should I have said that?" or "Should I have done this?" Today, however, it takes a lot to make me angry, and even when it's necessary, the incident doesn't even cross my mind once it's over. The moment I turn my back, the chapter is closed for me. Neither my mind, nor my soul, nor my body remains occupied with that unnecessary energy. This is a magical skill that yoga has gifted me.
It may seem like magic, but it simply comes down to the discipline of making time for yourself. Just 10-15 minutes a day is enough. Anything more happens once you step onto the mat—between you and your mat... I hope one day you can look at life through this window too. I promise you; it is a much more colorful, joyful, and lighter world.
