Of all the ways we are instructed to de-stress, yoga is the official mascot. And why not? Chock full of health benefits and brimming with relaxing vibes, becoming a yogi gives you the perfect way to decompress. But, like anything in our hectic lives, finding the time to roll out the mat is a struggle to be faced every day.
Practicing might be filled with the promise of instant relaxation, but committing to a new habit is no easy feat.
We get told enough – be it the magazine stands, our news apps, or the TV – that we need to carve out some time for some serious self-care. And the only way to ensure we are doing this, is to make our rituals a habit. Yes, that involves squeezing out a few precious minutes from somewhere, if we can find them. But it’s not as hard as we seem to make it out to be.
The key to forming a habit is really to make it your own. Your needs and your wants; and this is what really complies with the concept of self-care.
So instead of using your go-to ‘I’m busy’ excuse to cancel your lessons, or to avoid wrestling with a sports bra, here’s how you can make yoga a habit.
How to find the time
We can barely find the time to do the habits we stick to everyday. So, what makes us think we can cram something new into our schedules? And if this is your obstacle, there are some easy tricks to insert a short daily slot into your life.
Yoga practice might seem worth a few hours every day to achieve peak relaxation, but according to some instructors, this isn’t necessarily true. And sure, daily practice might seem impossible, but by doing short bursts, you can fit in an effective session.
‘Little and often’ are the golden words for ensuring a self-care regime is put in place, and the same can be said for being a beginner yogi. Even those five minutes after you finally pull yourself out of bed can fill you with the benefits, and get you through the day. Plus, there’s no excuses here: it’s time to trade those extra five minutes in bed you always afford to yourself.
Make it an achievable habit
Let’s just say that our bloggers know how to put on a show. No, really. With their flawless pics of near impossible poses, we are bound to see yoga as an otherworldly hobby.
We are all for inspiration, but let’s face it: we aren’t expert yogis quite yet.
Seek out an achievable goal, and make that the habit. Start slowly, building on simple poses and practices. And when you set that goal, stick to it. The second we skip a day, or just don’t give it our all, the more likely we are to throw in the towel. Or the mat.
Yogis recommend a 10 minute session every day. Simply telling yourself to just do 600 seconds means you will be more likely to make the time for yourself!
However, if you are having one of those days, and can’t find it within yourself to commit to a routine, take a relaxing pose (the child’s pose is a firm favourite among yoga enthusiasts) and breathe deeply for a few minutes. You will feel the benefits of a session, and won’t be giving up on yourself.
Get ready the night before
Practicing yoga doesn’t seem as time consuming when we cut it down to a ten minute session. But the process of grabbing the mat, squeezing into some yoga leggings, and setting the mood might be eating up a few more minutes than you would like.
Yoga enthusiasts however claim that to get around this, make it a morning habit. To avoid routing through your drawers to find your kit, lay it out the night before, or even try yoga in your pyjamas!
This way you can roll out of bed, flop onto a readily rolled out mat in a less than graceful fashion, and get your yoga on. When you’ve finally pulled yourself out of the last pose, you can get ready for your day and feel those glorious benefits.
All in all, if self-care is all about you, and finding your habit. You can try the tips to make it an achievable habit, but simply feeling your way through a potential yoga routine is the best way to find something that will suit you.
The fact is, we all have good habits, and the not so good habits. They are our habits, and have formed over time, evolving as a result of us. So rather than seeing yoga as something new and unknown, which chews up your time in the mornings, treat it as something you can incorporate into yourself.
We might be pressed for time, but taking a few minutes for yoga represents something much greater. And that’s you.
