Alanis Morissette Shares How Yoga Has Impacted Her Life

What are some of the benefits of yoga? Just ask the artist who released the best-selling debut album for a woman EVER!

Alanis Morissette discovered yoga toward the end of her Jagged Little Pill tour, which launched her into rock superstardom at just 21-years-old. She found the spiritual exercise to be a the perfect retreat from her busy schedule of gigs, interviews and appearances on the road, explaining:

“I wanted to find a practice that both physical and spiritual. Yoga was perfect for that. I felt like I was born to do yoga.”

Now a married mom, the 37-year-old has been committed to practicing yoga for years and recently opened up about how it has changed her life in the latest issue of Yoga Journal.

When asked what she loves the most about yoga, she said:

“It gives me a great microcosmic snapshot, a clear picture of what’s going on in my life. If I push myself on the mat, It’s likely I’m pushing myself off the mat as well — a cue to be gentle. When I don’t practice, there’s a lack of checking in on my part. How I approach my time on the mat gives me a glimpse of my needs. It’s a great invitation to tune in to what’s really going on.”

As far as her creative process, the singer says yoga and songwriting is almost intertwined for her, explaining:

“The impetus to do yoga comes from the same place where my songs are birthed. When I’m writing songs or doing yoga, I’m curious about what’s really going on: What’s happening in my body? What’s happening in my heart? What’s happening in my life?…It’s all the same muscle of curiosity.”

Her commitment to practicing yoga has even helped her achieve better relationships in her life, sharing:

“My commitment to the practice definitely pays off in my relationships because it requires me to be courageous and push myself to my edge, but also cut myself a lot of slack and be gentle. So I push myself to my edge and then relax into it — that’s kind of how I live my life these days.”

There are SO many mental, physical, and spiritual benefits one can acquire through yoga, so why haven’t you tried it out yet?