Yoga is a combination of exercises that has the ability to strengthen the body and soothe the soul. It is a practice that originated in ancient India thousands of years ago. There are numerous benefits of practicing yoga such as anxiety and stress relief, mental and health boost, improvement of sleep and life quality, and many more.  If you haven’t started your yoga journey yet the time has come. I’ve talked with Daria Sneg to find out more how yoga practice transformed her life and this is what I learned:

1. How did you start your yoga journey? 

My yoga journey began when I started practicing more physical types of yoga-like Vinyasa, Hot Yoga, and Aerial Yoga. Eventually, I started to realize that yoga is not just about physical poses and that it has a deeper meaning. I wanted to learn more about the spiritual side of yoga. That is when I found out about the yoga instructor training at the Integral Yoga Institute in New York, and my yoga journey started from there.

2. What is your morning routine? 

I love mornings and I try to always make the best out of every minute that life allows me to have every morning. I usually wake up early – around 5 am. The first thing I do is breathing exercises to gently wake up all the systems of the body. After that, I drink a big cup of warm water. Then I do a series of bodyweight exercises for about 30-40 mins. It helps me to feel more energized and ready for an active day ahead. After exercising I take a warm and cold shower to wake up my body completely. The next and most spiritual part of my morning routine is quiet meditation, sometimes I also do some journaling. Then I am ready for breakfast, after which I start my workday or whatever is on my to-do list. 

I know my morning routine might look like it takes too much time, but it is perfect for weekends when there is no rush. On the days when I do not have much time, I am shortening my routine or do only the things that I feel are most needed at the moment. 

3. What’s the most rewarding part of what you do? 

 The most rewarding part of what I do is probably the lessons I learn along the way. I am a student on this journey. If I can help people to find the balance within themselves and within their bodies, it is an ultimate reward for me.  

4. What type of yoga do you teach? 

     I trained to teach Hatha yoga. My ideal would be to also become a yoga therapist soon. So, I will be able to guide people on how to heal their bodies by practicing yoga. 

5. How did yoga teaching impacted your life? 

    Yoga practice and teaching helped me to first understand myself better. It helped me realize that it is not healthy to always be striving for things we want. Sometimes it is good to just take it easy and go more inwards. In Sanskrit “Sthira” is translated as strong, steady, stable, and “Sukha” means comfortable, happy, and relaxed. Finding the balance between these two within and in the physical body is what helps to feel the joy of the moment.  

6. What are the benefits of yoga? 

     Yoga in general has many health benefits like increased muscle strength and tone, improved flexibility, and having more energy. Practicing yoga helps to improve respiration, balance metabolism, and prevent injuries. Also, practicing yoga together with breathing and meditation techniques can help to develop the skills to manage the stress levels and become happier in general.   

7. What are some yoga poses to de-stress and relieve tension? 

    In the part of the physical pose of the yoga practice, many people find the child’s pose, legs up the wall, cat/cow flow, eagle pose, Adhvasana, and Savasana as immensely helpful in releasing tension. Additionally, the Mountain pose is quite simple and can be practiced at any time of the day whenever you need to feel more grounded. There are also many breathing techniques in yoga that help to calm the mind, and of course, the meditation part of the class is greatly beneficial to mental wellbeing in many ways.  

8. What inspires you and keeps you motivated? 

I try to find inspiration in everyday moments. I enjoy going into nature and I am always amazed by the sheer beauty of it all. I focus on all the details and try to feel it all with my senses. I also appreciate and get inspired by the creativity of people. I find so much inspiration in art, architecture, music, photography, etc. It is a real blessing that nowadays we can go online and find different sources of inspiration if we cannot go out and look for them.