After many years of trial and error, I’ve finally ticked this resolution off my list. 2016 was a year of daily yoga practice for me, and I managed this with a few handy tips. Other than a going on a great yoga retreat, here are three tips that may come in handy in helping you to maintain a daily yoga practice in 2017!
Choose A Good Teacher
Here’s a tip that I really can’t stress enough. Just like how you’d choose a good personal trainer for yourself at the gym, you also need a good yoga teacher to help keep you in check. When I couldn’t find motivation, my yoga teacher helped me find perspective. When I felt stuck in my practice, my teacher gave me alternatives and helped me work my way around.
When you find the right teacher, be sure to stick to them! Having a consistent teacher will not only help you have a consistent practice, but it will also help you advance in your practice as your teacher will become familiar with you, your capabilities and your limitations.
Pencil It In
Schedule your yoga practice into your daily planner so that you don’t overlook it or cancel it out for other appointments. Keeping a daily planner will also help you visualize the day ahead and allow you to prepare mentally for your yoga practice.
It is also a good idea to keep to the same time daily for your yoga practice. This way, your practice will become a habit and second nature. My advice is to start your mornings with yoga. Once you get out bed, roll out your mat and begin. Mornings are the most optimal time to practice as it will help stretch out stiff muscles that have been dormant as you were asleep.
Make Yoga, Your Lifestyle
Image credit: Morguefile.com
As we all know, yoga encompasses so much more than just asana practice. If you are currently just practicing yoga poses, why not explore more about yoga? Perhaps incorporate the vegan lifestyle as well as meditation into your practice. Making yoga a more holistic practice and incorporating it into your lifestyle will help you be completely immersed in the practice. Yoga will then, not feel like a chore or something you have to do, but a way of life.
To begin, include at least 10 minutes of meditation at the end of your practice. As you sit in silence, focus on your breath and try to quiet the mind. You can practice a variety of yoga breathing such as Nadi Sodhana or Kappala Bhati. Once you are ready, you can explore yoga’s concept of Ahimsa (non-violence) and include this in your lifestyle by eliminating meat and products from your diet.
Is getting a yoga teacher certification a part of your New Year’s resolution? Don’t delay it any longer! Find the best yoga teacher training course!
About
Elaine Clara Mah
Elaine is a Contributing Writer for BookYogaTeacherTraining.com. She is a rookie yoga teacher whose favorite pose is the Adho Mukha Svanasana as it has helped relieve fatigue in her day to day life.
