In a life where we are not required to use our body to its full potential, practicing yoga becomes really important as it may be the only opportunity in our everyday life when we squat, bend, twist, sit crossed legged, fold and stretch.
In times where we only live mid-level it becomes clear how helpful yoga can be in preventing disability and promoting health and independency. It is important to begin gently if you are not an experienced yoga practitioner and to keep in mind that even if you are active (running, weight lifting and other gym-based type exercise) it doesn't always mean that your joints are flexible and functional.
Mid-level living is the level at which this current western society moves. We sit on chairs and sofas, our beds stand on legs rather than lying on the floor, out toilets are comfortable seats, we eat sitting down and we cook standing up. Our hips and knees never flex further than 90 degrees. This is especially true for people who's job expects them to sit at the desk for 6-7 hours. It is no wonder that we encounter so much difficulty when we first approach activities like yoga and we injure ourselves when we occasionally go camping and we have to crouch to get into the tent… most of us haven’t done that movement in years! This mid-level living makes us stiff and creates all sorts of muscle pain, illness and disabilities down the line (arthritis, falls due to lack of balance, constipation due lack of mobility of the intestines, back and shoulder pain).
That’s only one of the reasons why it is so important to begin to practice Yoga. It pushes us out our “comfort zone”, out of the mid-level living, promoting functionality and creating a connection between the brain and the body, where we finally, eventually, become able to move in the direction and way we want to, without seeing our body as a limitation.