Students often ask me how frequently I practice. Do I do yoga everyday? Hmmm… let’s be honest, life gets busy and whole days can fly by without a moment’s thought of rolling out the yoga mat. What really helps is redefining what you think of as yoga. I may do a balance whilst I brush my teeth; a forward bend while I lay the dining room table; some breathing exercises whilst I sit at the traffic lights. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, take a few mindful moments to connect your thoughts, your body and your breath as one.
Some tips to consider:
1. Make space– Creating a beautiful space in which to practice can really help you cherish the time that you spend moving through a yoga sequence. Create a sensory-rich environment with a few objects you love to gaze at, to smell, touch or hear. Make it comfortable. If you can, go for light and airy in the daytime, or snug and nurturing in the evening. Consider it a quiet space to turn inward. Light a candle and say a prayer. This is your ‘me-time’.
2. Use the Sun Salutation – If you don’t know how to begin your practice, start with a sun salutation or ‘Surya Namaskar.’ This set of 12 asanas (poses) is a graceful, flowing sequence that warms the body and prepares you for deeper poses.
3. Do just 5 minutes –Thinking you need to do a long practice can put you off stepping on to the mat in the first place. Consider five minutes as a good daily practice. Then, if you’re feeling up for it, do more. The key is consistency – little and often. You’ll still feel the benefit. Soon, you’ll see enormous gains.
4. Have one challenge pose– It’s easy to do the poses that come without much strain, but where you’ll find real progress is in the pose you avoid at all costs! Whether it’s a backward bend or resting deeply in a forward bend, challenge poses tend to be the most beneficial for our practice as they open up areas that may be stuck or weak. But be mindful of pushing yourself too far or injuring your body. Challenge poses should be done carefully and incrementally. Take your time and use more supports to ease your body slowly into position.
5. Align your practice with an embedded habit– One of the best ways to incorporate a new habit is to attach it to an established one. So if you always have a cup of tea before you prepare your evening meal. Why not try to do your home practice first so that you can reward yourself with the tea and a delicious meal knowing that you’ve moved the tension from your body and can fully relax for the rest of the evening.