Your Own Yoga Practice
I've talked to so many people who have tried yoga, and understand the benefits, but they have no idea how to incorporate a consistent, mindful practice into their busy lives. Now, creating a yoga routine is extra challenging because we’re all at home - and even though you might have a lot more time on your hands, it’s not so easy to create a personal yoga practice.
Do either of these sound like you?
Situation #1: You know in your heart yoga works because you always feel great after a practice. You've attended some classes and you walk out lighter and more relaxed, and you wonder why you don't go more often. Then, life gets in the way; your family needs you, your job and responsibilities need you, so you put yoga off. When you do have an opportunity to attend a class, you somehow talk yourself out of it. You tell yourself there are too many other things to take care of right now, and you'll make yoga a priority later.
Situation #2: You love meditation and mindfulness, and you want to do more yoga, but going to a class with a bunch of people you don't know is scary. You've tried an in-person class before, but you had a bad experience. The room felt crowded and anxiety-producing. You didn't feel in control of your choices or your body. You are curious about yoga as a way to heal and to change, but you want an experience that is more tailored to your needs.
If you can relate to any parts of these scenarios, you are not alone. There is also nothing wrong with you. Yoga is a practice, and the goal is to find yourself, which means the path looks different for everyone. We tend to focus on all the wrong things - the poses, the length of the class, how we look; we compare and we criticize. We worry we are doing it wrong, or that it’s not working.
Your yoga practice is inside you.
Yoga accesses our pain and our secrets. Yoga gets us in touch with our subtle body - our emotions - so we can undo layers of conditioned thinking and get rid of patterned behaviors, to get to the core of who we are.
All of this is inside you.
To create a personal yoga practice, here are 3 first steps:
Step 1) Set an intention. What are you seeking with your practice? Maybe you seek patience, openness, insight, freedom... Be specific: freedom from an addictive behavior, openness in a relationship, or patience through a crisis.
Step 2) Decide what you can handle. Will you do one class a week, and meditate on your own? Will you do 10 minutes of yoga every night before bed? Keep it simple - a yoga practice does not require certain clothes or even a lot of time. Yoga in its simplest form is tuning into the breath, and then adding gentle movement. If there are 1-3 poses you know, you can create your own practice. If you sit up in bed and breathe for 5 minutes, this is a practice.
Step 3) Create sacred space. Practice your yoga in the same space every time, and add something to this space to make it special. Lay your mat out in front of a sunny window. Light a candle in your bedroom. Declutter an area of your home. Do something small to signify that this is a healing space.
Lastly, when we start any healing, transformative routine, we need support. If you are ready to dive in, join my new online yoga membership, The Practice. The Practice will provide you with weekly lessons you can do at home, with my guidance and encouragement, as well as many other transformative lessons and themes so you can access the part of you that longs to be acknowledged. This is life-changing work, for body, mind, and soul, and it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or unattainable.
