4 Steps to Sticking with your Home Yoga Practice

Ever tried to stick with a home yoga practice?  It can be challenging!  But the good news is you can start a new practice, develop a new habit and recommit to yourself anytime of the year.  We are about halfway through 2019 and it’s a great time to revisit goals and dreams.  If one of your goals was to take more time for you, be more active, or just stick with something like a home Yoga practice – here are 4 steps to keep you motivated!  We all know it’s easy to start off strong with a new intention.  But oftentimes we need a reminder, support, or just to feel renewed in our sense of purpose.  Yoga is a powerful practice with so many benefits so creating time and space for it in your life can help you shift your perspective entirely!

MAKE TIME
Start with setting aside time to practice. Even if you did this in the beginning and have let it slip, get back to it! Thirty minutes a day is a good place to start.  Maybe you add this to your calendar and make it reoccurring.  Or set your alarm with the text “Get up and Practice” or “Move your Body!”  It could be a note on your bathroom mirror that reminds you how good it feels to move! Whatever your method is own it and try not to back out on it.  Your tools are only as good as your attitude so make it a priority!

Even if you can only manage ten minutes a day at first, you got it in and that starts a whole chain reaction you can grow from!  Try not to schedule anything over this time; make it as sacred, or more, than everything else on your calendar.  And yes, I speak from experience when I say the dishes and the laundry aren’t going anywhere, so get on your mat!

CREATE A SEQUENCE
Flow with your body, not against it, listen and start to notice the movements that make you feel good.  This is an intuitive way of practicing and developing a sense of connection with your body.  While you can also choose something to easily memorize and come back to everyday you can also feel free to be creative.  Personally, I like both, I like to have a short sequence I can do without having to feel the need to be creative.  But when I do feel that urge to be creative I can flow with my body.  Just give yourself a moment at the beginning of your practice to tap into your body, mind and soul, where are you right now? How do you feel?  What do you need?  Listen and move, or in some cases, don’t move!

If you do need a simple sequence to follow here’s a good short flow:
Child’s Pose, Cat/Cow flows, Down Dog, Forward Fold, Warrior Postures, Triangle, Down Dog, Pigeon Pose (pictured below) Cobbler’s Pose, Seated or Reclined Twist, Savasana.

CURATE YOUR SPACE
Set aside space in your house where you can practice everyday.  Maybe even leave your mat rolled out, ready for you to step on it. This will act as a visual cue, reminding you not to miss your daily practice. The more you use this sacred space, the more you’ll look forward to it!  And be sure to make this space yours, if it doesn’t feel like you or speak to you how likely are you to use it?  Take time thinking about what visuals make you happy, what color the walls should be, or the addition of plants.  Like anything approaching your space with the same mindfulness you approach other aspects of your life are going to help it be more successful.  I just finished curating my yoga space and have some ideas here if you need inspiration!

FIND YOUR COMMUNITY
The hardest part of a home practice is the community piece, but one of my favorite places to connect is online with other home practitioners.  I love the My Yoga Journey community, a private Facebook group for anyone subscribing to a YogaClub Box.  This space is a great place to ask questions, share your breakthroughs or challenges and just feel supported.  I have always been an believer in the community of yogis, honestly there is nothing like it for me and I feel the more vested you are in a community the more likely you are to stick with something, like a home yoga practice.  I will even offer mini tutorials or classes on there sometimes!  Plus, I get to share and see what everyone got in their latest Yoga Club Box!

 

 

Finally, the most important thing to remember is the reason behind the practice.  The practice gives us the tools needed to maintain a happy, healthy, and full life.  At the end of the day, making time to give yourself that gift is a huge achievement!  All of this takes a shift in our attitude toward self-care and valuable time spent doing something for ourselves.  But as my husband can attest, I am a much nicer, happier and more patient when I have a regular yoga practice.  I know maintaining a home yoga practice is challenging and it’s easy to get distracted so try these steps for more success!  Not only will it improve your physical body, but your mind and soul too!  

 

Photographer NoxBox Photography