About five years ago, I started doing yoga. This wasn’t really something I planned or ever thought I’d want to do.
I wouldn’t say I was a yoga hater, but I was pretty skeptical that it could be as beneficial as people claimed it was. Then I started going through a phase where I wanted to find a form of exercise that I really enjoyed and looked forward to doing.
I was open to everything, so I decided to give yoga a shot.
As you may have guessed, it quickly became my absolute favorite form of exercise. I came to realize a massive reason why it’s so helpful to me is rooted in my introverted and INFJ personality.
I ultimately, I can only speak to my own personal experience and I think my personal connection to yoga has a lot to do with my INFJ personality type. However, I think there are several aspects of yoga that all introverts will connect with.
So with that in mind, here are five ways yoga can help introverts–especially INFJs.
It calms the mind
Part of being an introvert means that we spend a lot of time in our own inner worlds. This often means that we have very active brains.
And while a lot of people may think we’re quiet, we can often feel really loud on the inside. We spend a lot of time thinking, imagining, and sometimes stressing and worrying.
I’ve found that focusing on the movements of yoga can go a long way in quieting and calming the mind.
Moving through a yoga class gives you something very intentional to focus on, which can help interrupt and quiet your busy train of thoughts.
Not only that, most classes have some form of mediation at the start and/or end of class, which can go even farther in helping a busy introverted mind to calm down.
And because meditation in and of itself is a core part of yoga, you may also find that there are straight meditations available to you once you find a teacher or studio you like.
It helps you pay attention to your physical body
Like we’ve touched on, introverts typically spend more time in their own internal worlds and less time in the external world. This can be particularly true for INFJs and other intuitive types.
As a result, we can sometimes lose touch with our bodies’ physical needs. Yoga can do a lot to help bridge that gap.
After I started doing yoga, I found myself more aware than ever of how my body feels. If I’ve been sitting for too long, I notice a tightness in my hips that I didn’t feel or process before. This has helped me learn to get up and take a walk or do something to counter shapes I’ve been holding.
It’s also helped me get more in touch with what I’m eating and how my body responds. I’m far from a traditional vegan yogi, but I’ve learned to eat healthier (and actually enjoy it) because I’ve become more in touch with how positively my body responds to healthier food.
That’s not to say I’m perfect–I’m absolutely not. But in the past, I used to forget to each lunch sometimes because I’d get so caught up in my own head. This has happened a lot less since I started doing regular yoga and paying more attention to what my body’s trying to tell me.
You can do it at home
You can, of course, totally go to a yoga studio if you want to, but one of the best and most introverted parts of yoga is that you can absolutely do it at home!
This was one thing that really drew me to yoga in the first place. I knew on days where I was really peopled out, having to go to a gym or take a class with strangers or friends would be a massive reason not to get my exercise in.
The fact that I can do yoga as often as I’d like and have total me time while I do, is one of the reasons I adore this practice so much.
For me, Bad Yogi and Erin Motz are my jam! I love everything about the Bad Yogi philosophy, and as an introvert herself, Erin totally gets it. In fact, in the Bad Yogi studio, there are even classes like “Yoga for Introverts” and “Yoga for When You’ve Given Too Much” that are some of my favorites.
It can help you recharge
One of my favorite things about yoga is the range of intensity. You can do a more intense class when you’re looking for a more serious workout, but if you’re feeling wrung out, rundown, or in the middle of an introvert hangover, you can turn to a more restorative yoga class.
Restorative classes are more slow-moving, grounding, and meditative which can do wonders to help you recharge your introvert batteries.
They can help you wind down if you’ve been way overstimulated, or they can help you find some energy if, for some reason, you need to get moving.
Before yoga, I used to think that exercising meant expelling energy, which was the last thing I needed when I needed to recharge. Yoga has helped me find ways to move that actually give me energy and make me feel better, especially when I’m recovering from an introvert hangover.
It meets you where you’re at
I think introverts, and INFJs in particular, easily feel a pressure to get things “right” or to do things “perfectly.” But with yoga, the only “right” way to do it is in any way that helps you feel good (as long as you’re not hurting yourself).
Before I started actually doing yoga myself, I used to think it was all about being super flexible and nailing the trick pretzel poses.
But in my five or so years with Bad Yogi, I’ve learned yoga is a lot more about giving you and your body what it needs. Sometimes that means making a modification so a pose is more accessible, and some times it means challenging yourself to stretch a little deeper and go a little farther.
Learning to identify where I’m at and do what’s right for me in yoga has been pivotal in identifying where I’m at and learning to do what’s right for me as an introvert.
So while yoga may not be for everyone, I absolutely think it’s something every introvert should at least try. You may just find that it helps your introvert life as much as it’s helped mine.
Looking for more in-depth tips on how to live your best introvert life?
If you want to dig a little deeper into this topic, check out the Introvert Life Guide!
This guide was designed to help you build the introvert life of your dreams. And it’s full of plenty of tips and tricks to help you better advocate for your introverted self.
It will also help you embrace your introverted nature and build a life to help you thrive!
For more introvert life tips, check out the other introvert posts!
Sound off: What exercises help your introvert life? Tell us about it in the comments!