Here are some tips to make your practice a healthy habit so that it becomes as routine as brushing your teeth.
- Set a strong intention
Reflect on what yoga is for. It doesn’t matter what the answer is, because experience shows that even over a short period of time, motivation can change dramatically, as can the quality of your energy. The answer will be different for everyone, it is important to understand what motivates you. Certainly one of the main reasons to practice yoga is that yoga gives us a sense of purpose. When a strong intention is established, it will sustain you.
- Exercise every day
If you have a complicated schedule, determine which days you will practice, gradually approaching a daily practice. It’s easier to develop a habit if you make the effort consistently. That is, the more days you miss, the less likely you are to automate the habit. Yes, your muscles will become more flexible over time, but they will revert back to their previous state if you don’t practice often enough.
Remember, when you quit yoga, unhealthy patterns of behavior can return.
- make it easy
If you are practicing every day, let your practices be easy.
Practicing for an hour a day is not always possible. Set realistic time intervals for yourself to practice. This is better than berating yourself and feeling that you have failed if you miss a full practice. If possible and according to how you feel, gradually increase the duration of practice.
- Follow the 10-minute rule
Set a goal to practice 10 minutes a day every day.
Almost everyone has an extra 10 minutes a day that we use unproductively (like browsing the news on social media).
And if you don’t feel like you have an extra 10 minutes, then wake up earlier or go to bed a little later. Set yourself up for success by following the 10-minute rule.
- Prepare
Research your daily routine and prepare comfortable clothes and your exercise mat in advance. Preparation entails accomplishing your goal, you’ll have a second nature that won’t let you miss a class.
- Enjoy the process
Even if your goal is to sit in lotus pose steadily and for long periods of time, you won’t master it by bypassing the process. If you look at yoga as a practice for a specific goal, you won’t enjoy every minute of it. You’ll probably get bored if you don’t achieve your goal as quickly as you expected, and you’ll abandon the practice.
Yoga is a great metaphor for life. We set a goal and work hard to achieve it. But if you don’t enjoy the process of achieving the goal, the very act of living will be frustrating, boring and unsatisfying. That’s why it’s important to focus on the process of yoga, not just the goal.
Yoga inherently encourages us to re-establish the connections between body and spirit. The breathing techniques and body positions you practice will help you bring your mind into the present, rather than being future-oriented and looking back at the past.
Always remember that flexibility, weight loss, muscle tone, and the ability to quiet the mind while holding meditative postures for long periods of time takes time. Try to focus on how you felt during and especially after yoga class.
- Reward
Try to maintain a healthy diet, this will be a great support for your classes.
- Do yoga from home
Practicing from home saves your time and investment significantly.
Creating a healthy yoga habit is much easier when practicing from home.