By Tara McGee, MSW, RSW, Dip TiRP Psychotherapist, OCSWSSW, IAYT
Many of us have the best intentions around developing habits, routines and practices that will improve our health and wellbeing. We know or have heard that, “A daily yoga practice is going to make me feel so much better”. But transforming this hope into reality is not always easy.
Here we provide you with some tips on how to make your daily yoga practice become reality!
1. Intention – Set the intention for your yoga practice. Is it to calm your mind? Settle your nerves? Strengthen your body and mind? Soften your tension? Lose weight? Reduce blood pressure? Get a good sense of what your practice will be for. Having an idea of what brings you to the mat, and what effect you are looking for, will help you choose the type of practice that suits you. If this feels too complicated (yoga can be so many things), schedule a session with a yoga therapist who has the experience and training to assess your system and offer a practice that will bring you to your goal. (Check out Sass Dempsey at the Sanctuary)
2. Schedule the time – Add the time to your schedule, don’t book anything else at this time, set a reminder for yourself on your phone, tell your family/friends this time is important to you.
3. Make your mat and clothes accessible – Don’t put your mat away where you have to go find it and drag it out of a closet! Leave it in the place you do your practice (or as close as possible). Put your clothes out the night before so you can just wake up and put them on. Or pack your bag the night before if you are planning to go to a class the next day.
4. 10 minutes to start – If starting and committing to a longer practice is an issue, then don’t! Set aside 10 minutes and let yourself know that this is enough. The effect from a yoga practice is cumulative; if you practice 10 minutes daily you will receive greater benefit than practicing 1 hour once a week.
5. Yoga Pants?? – Don’t worry about having the right clothing. Practice in your PJs, sweats or anything comfy. Don’t put pressure on yourself to “look the part” this is about how you are going to feel, not what you are going to look like. When I started practicing yoga in the early nineties, everyone was wearing old sweatpants and t-shirts. It still works!
6. Support & Instruction – One of the benefits of daily practice is that it can be done at home at no cost or travel. If you want to commit to going to a class do, yoga is about relationship and having a community can be a huge benefit. But if you are cultivating a daily practice, and you don’t have the time or resources to get to the studio every day, then practicing at home can be just as beneficial. Because yoga is a powerful energy practice that can be harmful if done incorrectly, if you practice from home, it is best to receive a practice from a teacher of yoga therapist you know and trust.
7. Be kind to yourself – There will be days when you just can’t do your practice, life happens and that’s normal – so don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Sometimes you might not have the energy to practice, so on those days maybe your yoga practice looks like more rest, or just being seated quietly in nature or even in your office. Try not to let a day off turn into a week. Jump straight back in the next day.
If you want to learn more about developing a personal yoga practice that will support your mental health and healing journey, check out Tara’s Exhaustion to Vitality Program or connect with Sass at the Sanctuary.