The summer was fun, but you have to admit that it feels good to get back into a routine, right? How are you scheduling in self care this fall? Yoga is a fantastic way to care for yourself — mind, body and soul. Yoga offers a unique blend of moving the body in mindful ways that go beyond stretching and strengthening to soothing the nervous system and calming the mind. Here are five ways yoga can help you feel better overall.

Move your body in meaningful ways. Yoga poses not only stretch tight muscles but also strengthen them. In our classes at The Perch, we focus especially on those muscles that help us move better in life: strengthening the core, stretching out the hips and finding relief from shoulder tightness. It’s a workout, yes, but done in a gentle, mindful way, so it’s not super sweaty. Yoga has been shown to help with mobility, strength and balance, all important physical factors.

Learn to incorporate rest into your life. Yoga classes always end with savasana — the Sanskrit word we use to describe resting at the end of class. After we move and work our bodies, we pause and lie down and rest for a few minutes. This lets our body incorporate all it’s learned in class, and it helps to reset the nervous system. But perhaps even more important, it shows us how to incorporate rest into life. Our bodies need rest, and savasana teaches us to embrace it, reminding us that our value is not based on what we produce — we’re allowed to rest.

Practice mindfulness and give your mind a rest. Yoga classes encourage you to be fully present, tuning into your body and letting go of the to-do lists that might otherwise be running through your mind. For one hour, you get to focus on just one thing: yoga class. Mindfulness not only helps you feel more grounded and present, it also helps your mind get a much-needed break from multi-tasking.

Calm the mind and body. Research suggests that when we tune into our breath, we find calm in our body and mind. It’s incredibly powerful to connect with yourself in this way, and it signals to your nervous system that you’re safe and can relax. This is why you feel so great after yoga class! But perhaps even better, you learn that you can tune into your breath any time you need some calm.

Connect with like-minded people. It’s powerful to be a room with others who are also trying to do the work! In our classes at The Perch, we laugh together, celebrate each other and miss each other when someone is gone. Practicing yoga at home is great, but practicing with other like-minded people is an unmatched joy. You’ll leave knowing you’re not alone.