a friend and i were talking today about why we joined orignally and we wondered why other people joined so i thought i’d post a message and ask.
originally i joined to lose weight and reduce stress.
why did you originally join yoga?
i think it is a great post! i’v joined years ago because i was sick all over and friend of mine recommended yoga as a cure for everything! and it worked! since then i’ve committed to spread the teaching:)
I started by accident, sort of. I was lucky and had a great 1st teacher. My thoughts afterwards were “where were you all my life”. Nothing made me feel quite so complete. So, I dug deeper, and am digging to this day.
I was given an unpublished book on yoga sutra by a yoga master who soon passed away leaving a burden of hundreds of questions bugging my mind. I was skeptical about getting anywhere because of his absence. But more earnestly I sought answers more easily they arrived from unimaginable sources. Soon I had as my gurus our family pet Elsa, the trees, the flowers, the rain, the books, the dreams, the strangers, you name it. They give me my real eyes to see a different world or rather to see the same world differently. The learning continues.
The poster asks, why you “originally” joined Yoga! Knowingly or unknowingly, its corollary is ‘one may join for any reason, eventually Yoga becomes life’. Very true.
Pain and a stressful life brought me to yoga through asana practice. For years I did my own practice at home with no interaction with other yogi’s or a teacher. I started to notice some subtle changes physically, but more importantly mentally/emotionally. I started reading everything I could get my hands on regarding yoga. Teaching seemed to be a natural progression for me after years of practice.
Over the years my practice and teaching has evolved. Gone is the rigorous practice of power/astanga. Today I enjoy a more gentle and quiet practice and teaching style. This has greatly benefited not only me, but my students as well.
We all come to yoga for various reasons but some will discover the deeper meaning which ultimately keeps us there. It’s a pretty good place.
I was high on drugs in a goa-trance disco, and when looking at buddha-like statue amidst laser rays felt a kinda spiritual “call” inside me. But the time wasn’t ripe yet, I was too naughty, and joined some years latter.
Tracing backwards; an emerging ?desire? to explore yoga resulted from ?collective thoughts in my mind? which arose spontaneously seemingly from ?awareness? beyond the mind, although there was a delusional perception at the time I now realize there was nothing personal about it, let alone in my control.
Well I wanted to attain a higher plain of existence to be more one with all things to understand myself and my body while being….nah… I went for the women….and totally failed at that by the way 
I desperately needed something to help me overcome anxiety and panic attacks. I have never suffered from anxiety in general (although I’ve always been quite a sensitive and unconfident soul) but it is a certain situation I have been worrying about. I literally couldn’t cope with the constant thinking and worrying.
I was drawn to kundalini yoga several months ago for this reason and more recently, regular daily meditation. I feel great after doing kundalini a couple/three times a week but since I have been meditating daily I have noticed that I have not been experiencing feelings of sheer panic physically and mentally. I still find myself thinking about “what ifs” regularly throughout the day but haven’t been resorting to climbing under the duvet shaking with panic and not eating. It’s early days and I don’t want to speak too soon, but regularly meditating seems to be training my mind to be more still than it was, rather than spiralling out of control. It’s starting to give me perhaps a sense of hope.
I’m so glad I started yoga for this reason and also, very importantly, I have found that spiritually it feels so right to me more than anything and I wish I had started many years ago.
Yoga was recommended to me by a therapist as a way to reduce the stress of divorce and grief. I continued because I enjoy the way my body feels after a meditative or restorative class. I enjoy the people that I meet at the yoga center and more and more I find the philosophy of a yoga integrated life to suit me.
I saw people doing yoga and immediately thought “i think doing yoga would make me feel great” not sure why
It was suggested to me by one of my Karate Instructors to improve my Balance and Flexibility. I tried a few Yoga Classes at my local YMCA where I also do Karate. I then found an Instructor that I really like and am doing his Yoga Classes. He’s an awesome Instructor and am finding improvements with my Balance/Flexibility. I really like Yoga. I am more relaxed and find it to be a great stress relief.