Yoga is one of the greatest ways to keep your figure in check. Since you don’t need too much time or space, you can really practice anywhere, whether you’re at home or traveling. No matter what mood you’re in, you can always find a yoga routine that will help you feel better, whether you’re feeling motivated or not. Any worthwhile habit is hard to get into, but yoga has many health benefits that will make themselves known once you stick with it for a little bit.
A Space to Do it
If you intend to make yoga a part of your daily routine, you need to figure out where you plan on doing it. Find a spot in your apartment where it will be easy for you to quickly transform it into your yoga “studio.” You don’t have to keep your yoga mat unrolled all the time in a corner in your apartment, it could simply be your living room where you can move your couch or chair to give you a little breathing room. As long as you have a few feet of room on the sides of your mat, you won’t have any space issues. The greatest difficulty of creating all healthy habits, aside from getting off your butt and doing it, is making time for it. If you only have a half hour for lunch, you may want to wake up a little earlier and start your day with yoga. If you are already wake up early and can’t see yourself waking up a half hour earlier, think about having yoga be the first thing you do when you get home at night to help you unwind. Find a spot in your schedule where you can prioritize thirty minutes to perform yoga every day, and as long as you make your yoga session happen every day, the habit will be created in no time.
You Don’t Need A Lot But It Will Help A Lot
Yoga can be practiced anywhere, anytime, in any attire, however some situations are significantly more comfortable than others. The last thing you should do is march over to the Lululemon store and buy the latest pair of yoga pants they just dropped. All you really need for yoga is athletic attire that makes it easy for you to stretch and move around in. The only thing you should spend money on is a yoga mat so you’ll be comfortable while you’re sitting on the ground. If you’re brand new to yoga, consider purchasing a mat with a grippy side to help give you some traction for the more technical yoga stretches.
Empty Your Mind
Yoga isn’t necessarily a workout, it’s more of a time for you to slow down and reflect on the day you had. Before you get into downward dog, give yourself a few minutes to empty your mind and just breathe. Proper breathing circulates oxygen through your body at its optimal level, allowing for your brain to function better. If you had a bad day, just sit down and breathe. After a few minutes of proper breathing, you will not only experience a calming state, but your brain will be performing better, if not at its best. All it takes is one calming state of mind for you to start looking forward to each time you get to sit on your mat, relax, and unwind from the day.
If You Need Help, You Only Need to Ask
No one is a master overnight. It takes two hundred hours to become a certified yoga instructor, and another three hundred if you want to open your own studio. Nothing good comes easy, so if you’re having a hard time, be happy, it means you’re getting better! You don’t even have to meet with a yoga guru if you don’t want to, just get together with a friend who has yoga experience. If you don’t have any friends or family to help you with yoga, sign up for an online class, watch some videos, or just download an app. It’s important to make sure you aren’t performing any stretches incorrectly, as you can end up injuring yourself instead of healing.
Remove Distractions
To get the most out of yoga, you have to put the best effort into it. It’s really easy to get distracted, especially if you’re practicing yoga by yourself. People think the TV, a talk show, or even music on their phone will help them concentrate, but these are actually the most common distractions. Even music with lyrics will fill your mind with thoughts instead of helping you empty it. If you live next to a loud, busy street, consider practicing yoga with ear plugs in to help you focus on your yoga routine.
Move How You Need To
Yoga is excellent as you can do it however you see fit. Yoga classes are great when you want the support of others, but sometimes it may feel better to practice on your own. Solo yoga practice gives you the freedom to sit and meditate as long as you want before you get into your stretches. Likewise, if you had a specific stretch or posture in mind, you could do that as long as you want. Whatever you do, do not lose heart if aren’t improving as fast as you imagined. Yoga has never been about being the best, it has only been about giving it your best effort so you can receive the most amount of benefits from it.
