What it Takes to Build a Regular Yoga Practice
Building a regular Yoga practice takes more than getting on the mat. About a decade of Yoga practice made me realize that preparing for getting onto the mat every single day is about nurturing a mindset and belief that this divine practice can help you sail through the journey of life smoothly, happily and in an elevated state of being. Having said that, the daily challenges can be enough to deviate us from our path and you need to have a strong set of values to sustain your Yoga practice regularly. Following realizations I gained along the journey of sustaining my practice on the mat:
Be Realistic: There are days when you can dedicate1.5-2 hours to your practice. However, there may be days when 15 minutes of practice may seem enough. The idea is to not break the continuity, whether it be 2 hours practice or 15-30 minutes of quick movement.
Do not Give in into Excuses: Excuse for missing the practice can be many and do arise often. They say, Yoga is a practice of self-discipline, and to get self-discipline into practice the Yoga philosophy describes yamas and niyamas, the set of inner changes and discipline that one must adopt before adopting asanas in their routines. Yoga is a logical science that begins with taming the mind before taming the body. Once your mind is attuned to a routine, the daily practice does not seem like a chore anymore.
Do not be Hard on Yourself: Take Yoga practice as a way of life than a daily practice. Go slow on days when your body demands rest, and make your body work a little hard when it slips lazy into those slow days. Its also about attuning yourself and getting connected to your energies to give your body & mind a push to live life fully each single day.
Let the Shifts in the Body Speak of Your Success in Practice: No change happens in a day, small shifts are big achievements in the body and a great motivation to stay with the practice. Keep going is all you need to do, rest the practice takes care of itself!
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