The surprising link between your feelings and your practice.

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Yoga has long been seen as a way to build strength and flexibility.

Medium shot of unknown women meditating in the lotus position on a yoga mat during a calm morning at home.

But in addition to physical transformations, yoga can also help reconnect you with your full emotional spectrum.

When this happens, youre not imagining it yoga really can make you feel emotional.

Why do you feel an emotional release after a yoga class?

image of a person doing a low lunge yoga pose in a pink sports bra and matching leggings on their blue yoga mat in the middle of their living room, learning the best yoga poses for your zodiac sign

It is a widely believed notion that the human body holds onto emotions.

We often forget that there is a very strong mind-body connection, says Narain.

The body holds onto tension and trauma and emotions.

A young black woman doing post-run stretches in the park on the road amidst green grass and trees.

Yoga can be used as a tool to create a pathway between the mind and the body.

Emotions do not live purely in our minds, Narain says.

For example, when youre stressed, you might clench your jaw or scrunch up your shoulders.

woman sweating in the gym

Yoga should not be used in lieu of therapy, Narain says.

Journaling is a great place to start.

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Happy woman dancing and listening to music near a green empty wall outdoor in the city.

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Tara Davis-Woodhall of Team United States celebrates with husband Hunter Woodhall after winning the gold medal in the Women’s Long Jump Final on day thirteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 08, 2024 in Paris, France.

Healthy female training in the gym, performing a hip thrust.