Changing my eating habits

by Jie Zhong, YYT 200 hrs, September 2017
Since I practice yoga, I have a much higher self-awareness and am much more mindful about my body. Pranayama and asanas don’t only exercise my body, but also my mind. They let me develop a keen interest and awareness of what makes me feel light and energetic, and what makes me dull and lethargic. Through practicing yoga I have become able to hear my body’s voice and to follow healthy eating habits.
In addition, I have also learned from my peers through communicating with them and from talking about our individual diets. And from studying the theory of yoga and Ayurveda I know what foods are good for my own dosha type and how they should be prepared and flavoured. This newly gained knowledge has profoundly changed the way that I eat.
I have also become more aware of addictions, of how addictions highjack the brain’s reward system to their advantage. I do not mean addiction to alcohol or cigarettes. Rather, I mean junk food, sugar, fat, red meat and other tasty but unhealthy food choices. Practicing yoga has helped me to suppress the craving for these.
I believe that every time I do my exercises, new neural connections are formed in the brain. Thus, a new brain pattern is gradually shaped. Ultimately, it becomes stronger than my bad-habit pattern and thus helps me to get over bad habits and to lead a healthier, more fulfilling life free from unhealthy food addictions.
Practicing yoga thus brings health benefits with it that go far beyond “only” exercising my mind and body regularly.