From head to toe, from the brain to the tummy, from improving focus to managing anxiety and stress, yoga is excellent for several reasons. Though there’s a catch: to experience yoga’s sustained benefits, it needs to be practiced regularly.
That is why inspiring stories of people recovering from health ailments with a regular practice are aplenty.
However, with hectic work schedules, late mornings and our own laziness, making time for yoga every day becomes a dream too ambitious for some of us. Yet there are ways to fulfill this dream. This International Day of Yoga, follow these useful tips from our experts to make it happen.
Don’t be rigid about a fixed time
Do you dream about a day when you get up at 4 in the morning and practice yoga? You need to admit it – it is never going to happen! It is better to do your practice at any time than not doing it at all. So be flexible. Choose a time that fits in your schedule. Yet be flexible enough to do it any other time of the day. Use a phone reminder to make sure that you practice yoga every day.
Note how yoga makes you feel
Observe how you feel on the day you do yoga and on the day you don’t. Chances are that your body and mind feel great after yoga practice. The marked difference will motivate you to find time for the practice even when you are running short of time. So, whenever you feel lazy or want to skip your practice because of work, remember how a yoga session made you feel last time. The memory will itself motivate you.
“When I don’t practice my yoga on a particular day, my ability to focus reduces and I get irritated easily. With regular yoga practice, even a stressful situation does not seem difficult. It improves the quality of my engagement with others. These experiences keep me motivated to practice yoga regularly.
Tend to your sleeping pattern
Most of us sleep late and get up late, leaving no time for yoga. Moreover, oversleeping leads to lethargy and lack of sleep decreases your energy levels. In both cases, you are likely to forgo your practice. However, you can go to bed early, sleep well and be loyal to your practice. You can alter your sleep cycle by eating early. And if you wake up late because you feel you are not able to sleep well enough, these tips can help. You can also try specific yoga poses for sound sleep.
Motivate yourself with treats
This motivation theory is old and it works most of the time. Resolve to treat yourself with that expensive dress or that fine dining experience when you reach your target of doing yoga every day for a set period of time. Mark the day on the calendar whenever you do your practice. When you achieve your target, you will have more confidence to work on achieving a higher target.