How To Start A Yoga Journey.
If there was one habit I would encourage you to pick up in 2022 - it would be to form a daily yoga habit. Yoga does wonders for your body (weight loss, lowers blood pressure, & strengthens) and your mind (clairty & inner peace).
I personally started my own yoga practice in 2017 to help me work through some difficult times and I haven’t stopped since. It’s brought me such peace, positivity, and makes my body feel great. I’ve even gotten good enough to where I’ve done some interviews for yoga magazines and now am training to become an instructor myself. You never know where it’ll take you!
STEP I: PICK YOUR DAY
When you’re just starting out building a new habit - it should be small enough to keep up with to keep you excited but not so often that frustration sets in when things don’t go your way.
Pick one day a week and commit to a time and decide that it’s your yoga time. Really prioritize that for yourself. You deserve peace in your life - even if for a moment. Peace is a very powerful force - find it in your practice!
STEP II: STAY ENGAGED
As with any habit - the fun is in the learning. Staying engaged with yoga will help you to look forward to going to practice even when you don’t feel like it.
Follow yoga pages, watch videos, read books, start a yoga tumblr to share your journey.
STEP III: USE YOGA THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY
When I first began my yoga journey, I tried to implement it throughout my day to keep me focused on my true purpose for starting my practice - peace.
When I was upset at work, I’d use the breathing I had learned. When I dropped something I moved slow and intentionally like I would in yoga. When I would be frustrated with someone - I gave them grace just like the grace I give myself when I learned something new.
Yoga is beyond becoming flexible! It’s a part of your everyday. Which reminds me - YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE TO BEGIN YOGA.
STEP IV: START WHERE YOU ARE
When you first start out - don’t worry about getting any fancy gear. Just bring yourself.
You’ll want to start with a foundation and build from there. So skip all the advanced stuff and start from the ground up.
Standing Poses • Seated Poses • Beginner Flow
I highly recommend Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube - she has a series of playlists dedicated to beginners.
STEP V: DON’T COMPARE YOUR JOURNEY
Yoga is personal. It is about your journey & connection to yourself and whatever guides you in your life. You cannot compare your journey to someone else’s. Don’t worry if someone else just started yoga and they can do “so much more”. Don’t think you’re not a “real yogi” if you don’t do certain poses or wear certain things or have an aesthetically pleasing environment. None of that matters.
What matters is that you show up for yourself on those days you decide you’re going to do yoga. That means listening to your body when its tired, nourishing it, loving it, giving it grace, and feeling the emotion it brings you so you can function better and better each day.
