Starting a yoga practice - 5 tips

Starting a yoga practice is easy - but starting a new habit can be challenging. What? Yes, so we are here to figure out how to fit yoga into your busy life. Here are my tips for getting started.

Commit to self-care.

Before you begin, make yourself a promise. Promise to commit to self-care - create a routine that is all about you. You have family, work, commitments, so this part can be tough. You spend just about all of your time taking care of others and their needs, so how are you going to find time for yourself?

The answer is, you must. It’s time to assess how much time you spend doing things that do not serve you. Reading too much news? Scrolling on social media? How much time do you spend with activities that don’t really enhance your life? Take a hard look at that and assess how you might shift that energy toward doing something for yourself.

For, you cannot really help others, until you take care of yourself. It’s the airplane oxygen mask analogy - put your mask on first before helping others.

That’s what yoga is. It is a time to step away from life and onto your mat. Nothing matters there, except you, and the mat. No competition. No running around. No planning. There is only moving and breathing.

Flexibility not required.

More times than I can count, I’ve heard, “I can’t do yoga, I’m not flexible enough.”. Well, I understand where you are coming from, because if you look online, you’re seeing super bendy, young, uber-flexible people doing seemingly impossible poses, and you go, “I’ll never be able to do that!”

Well, the vast majority of people will never be able to do that. And that’s okay, because that’s not what yoga is about. It looks great, but those pictures are not common. Most people cannot get anywhere near that - not for lack of trying, but because of how they are made - bones and joints fit together differently for each of us. Our anatomy dictates how far we go in a pose.

That’s not to say progress isn’t possible, of course it is, but those deep bends, and deeply flexible people are doing that because they are made that way.

It doesn’t matter what a yoga pose looks like. What matters is how it feels. Flexibility not required.

Flexibility is not the goal.

It’s ok if you want that - but it’s just a happy byproduct of a practice that involves working into the tissues, creating warmth, and doing postures that create mobility and strength.

When we stop, and pay attention to what is going on inside - connecting mind and body - that is far more important than the flexibility that may come from it. But bonus, you’ll certainly gain more flexibility..

Yoga teacher cues are just a suggestion.

Don’t feel that you have to do exactly what we say. Your body will tell you what you need to do. If a teacher is saying ‘fold deeper’ and you are feeling a sharp tweak, or if they are asking you to do something you’ve never tried before - ask for help, or sit that out and observe before you give it a try. They’ll usually give you modifications, or options, listen to those and if you don’t hear one that works for you, sit it out and rest in child’s pose or downward dog.

Set a time each day for your practice.

This will help build that new habit we talked about. You’re busy, I know. But as you are thinking about your wellness goals, working in a daily practice, at the same time every day, will help it become part of your normal routine and makes it much more obtainable.

Your daily practice doesn’t have to be an hour or longer class - start with 15-30 minutes each day. In the morning, or in the evening after work and before dinner. Maybe longer classes on weekend mornings…find what works for you in your schedule.

For many years, my yoga time has been right after work. I retreat there, do my practice, whether that’s strength building, slow flow, meditation, or relaxation. I do something at that same time, without fail.

Make space at home.

It doesn’t have to be a whole room - but set aside a space for your yoga practice. A place where you can roll out your mat, maybe near a window where you can look outside and connect with nature during your practice. Somewhere you won’t be interrupted. Leave the world behind, close a door if possible.

Create your own sanctuary - a peaceful, clutter free place to retreat to every day.

The great thing about yoga is that it doesn’t require much to get started. A mat and a place to put it, maybe some online classes. My final tip is to find a teacher you connect with. You’ll usually know after a few classes whether you found one or not. Yoga teachers want to create classes and content that works for their students, so if you need help, reach out and ask questions.

Yoga teachers are all about community. And., we were all new to yoga once. This is a community of acceptance, so remember that there are no bad yoga poses, not wrong questions, and your practice is yours alone - make it one that is sustainable for you.

Namaste.