Starting your journey to do something new every single day can be a daunting task, and you may find yourself procrastinating. However, creating a daily yoga practice is something that will benefit you in many areas of your life, forever. The amazing thing about yoga, similar to art, is that it can be made unique for each individual that wants to try their hand at it.
Even if you are unsure about carving out the time in your life for a yoga practice, try working yoga into your daily routine you already have for yourself. Once you get that yoga itch for more, you will want to read what comes next. You will not regret reading these three simple steps we have curated to help you begin your daily yoga journey.
Finding a space that you can dedicate to your yoga practice will help you to easily transition from your anxieties and worries about everyday life into the calmness of your yoga practice. It is similar to the advice about not doing work in your bed since it will be difficult to feel relaxed in that space when you are ready for sleep. Along with finding a space, it is important to pick the most ideal time for you to practice yoga. Just because your friends might go to a yoga class at seven in the morning every day does not mean you have to. If you do not enjoy waking up early, nighttime yoga can be just as beneficial. Here are some different ideas for spaces and times to practice yoga.
Having space where you can dedicate to your yoga practice where you are free of distractions from your everyday life like family members, pets, and technology is ideal when you are doing daily yoga. Some people may not have the luxury of having enough space in their house to dedicate to a yoga/exercise room, and that is okay! Practicing on your bedroom floor or in the living room can be just as beneficial as long as you’re able to focus on your practice without getting distracted. Don’t forget mother nature has your back here. On sunny days, feel free to roll up your yoga mat and find a nice flat spot outside to do your yoga practice. Although it is nice to follow a routine when you are doing your daily yoga, it is okay to switch up the location and flow a little bit here and there to keep the practice interesting for yourself. Just like life, your yoga practice will be a little bit different every day.
Yoga can be practiced at any time during the day which means you get to decide whenever doing yoga fits best in your schedule. Have busy afternoons and already have a pretty set nighttime routine? Practice yoga as soon as you wake up. By practicing yoga first thing in the morning, you can get in a good stretch, get your blood flowing to help you wake up, and set intentions for your day to help your mood and productiveness. If you are not an early bird but have some free time after work, then an afternoon practice may be for you. Afternoon yoga can also be refreshing and energizing to help you continue on with the rest of your day.
Many people also thoroughly enjoy practicing yoga in the evenings right before bed. Benefits of practicing yoga before bed include, managing symptoms of insomnia, falling asleep faster, sleeping for longer periods of time, and being able to fall asleep after waking up in the middle of the night. Know yourself and what kind of routine would be the most motivating for you. You can do it at the same time every day or switch up the times you do yoga depending on your schedule, as long as you are still doing yoga every day, you are doing it right!
Who said you had to do yoga all by yourself? If you have ever seen those silly YouTube videos of friends trying to recreate complex partner yoga poses, then you know yoga can be practiced with a partner or even a group. It can be nice to have a friend or accountability partner to push you on those days when you might not feel like doing yoga. If you are planning on practicing with a friend here are some fun yoga poses to work towards as a goal.
Yoga is all about being unique to each person who is practicing it. It is always nice to follow a YouTube video or go to a class, but remember these are just guides and suggestions. You do not have to follow your teacher or other people in your yoga class exactly. Every body moves differently and it is vital to respect how your body wants to move and flow. Here are two ways to help find your own flow for your daily yoga practice.
When you are deciding to commit to a daily practice, it may be beneficial for you to ease into it, rather than diving in headfirst with two hour-long yoga practices that leave you feeling exhausted. Some days, you may really crave a nice long yoga practice that you can feel throughout your entire body, and other days you might only feel like doing a five-minute practice, which is completely normal. Start off by trying some shorter practices, maybe following some different videos or flows from books until you find what you like best.
Once you start getting the hang of it and you are starting to crave more, you can bump up the time and begin to extend the length of your sessions. Here is a quick five-minute yoga practice for those days when you just want to skip it altogether. You might be surprised by how beneficial just five minutes of yoga can be.
Along with the length of your practice, doing different poses may be something you have to work your way up to. If you are like me and you are very short, being able to touch your toes may come very easy to you. However, this is not the case for everyone. Most beginner yoga practices will teach you the basics like downward dog, mountain pose, and warrior. These are foundation poses that you can build on as you continue through your daily yoga practice.
Although it can be frustrating to not nail a certain pose immediately, if you look at it like a new goal to reach, it becomes a motivating factor to keep you coming to the mat daily. When you’re doing your yoga practice, keep in mind more difficult poses to work your way up to like headstand, crow pose, and even the formidable face pose.
Once you settle on the logistics of your daily yoga practice like when, where, and with whom you are doing it, now you just have to find that self-motivation to keep you getting to the mat. Focusing on all the beautiful benefits of yoga will help you find this motivation.
Although through studying the origin of yoga, you will find that it began as a preparation for meditation and prayer, our society has begun to advertise yoga as more of a physical exercise. Now although this is not what yoga always was, it is not all bad. People may come to yoga looking for weight loss and leave their yoga class with more than they ever thought possible. It is important to appreciate all of the physical benefits yoga brings including:
Yoga also goes deeper than the physical. With the incorporation of meditation, breathing, and mindfulness in your daily practice, you will see an improvement in your mental health and well-being. A daily yoga practice can create mental clarity, calmness, self-awareness, centered attention, sharpened concentration, and it can relieve chronic stress.
Even if you have decided to do your daily yoga practice by yourself, you are not alone. With practicing yoga, comes a community of people who are all very different yet joined together through the practice. Everyone practicing yoga, in one way or another, is looking to improve themselves. Many people in the yoga community are very loving and uplifting, and although I am biased I would say it is a wonderful community to be a part of.
Yoga is so unique. It is not necessarily a sport nor is it a form of complete relaxation, but it is a journey of mind, body, and spirit all in one. Deciding to start a daily yoga practice is one of the best gifts you will ever give yourself. If this is something you have been wanting to do, just give it a try. If you find yourself missing days and falling behind, try and try again. Yoga will always be there for you.
