10 Tips on how to make your Yoga practice work for you.
MAKING MOVING SOMETHING YOU CAN DO
What we really need
This is kind of obvious, but not all things work for all people. There is no one size fits all in Yoga. But many of us haven’t had the time to work out what our barriers are, the things that stop us from finding a practice that can integrate into our ever changing lives. This is what we really need. This kind of responsive practice is much easier than it sounds, and it’s about building trust and knowledge about yourself - and being totally in the moment when you can.
My 10 Tips…
Here are my 10 tips on how I make my practice work, and how you can make your practice work for you too!
1- Let go of the perfect moment.
It never comes. Commit to your moving practice even if you’re in a bad mood, tired, the house is a mess or your kids come to join you.
2- Do something that makes you feel good.
What is the feeling you want to have and after glow you are looking for? Depending on what type of person you are this is going to vary massively. People that take well to endurance activities and have lots of energy to burn might need to go for a jog or run to rid excess energy before doing a more gentle moving practice. Or dynamic invigoration before coming into a still practice (Restorative or Nidra). Have you tried my free Island Of Calm Nidra yet? For me – I burn out very quickly so I always start super slow and build up to a peak. The peak might be as much as a few minutes of standing twists but even this can give me the energy burst I need in the morning.
3- Time it well.
When do you have most energy? When are you most stiff? When are you most lethargic? If you’re most stiff in the morning but have a distinct lack of motivation and energy, this is a good time to loosen up before energising yourself for the day. Energy practices can be done from both laying and sitting so you don’t even need to start too far out of your comfort zone. If you are not a morning person, chose a time when you naturally feel up for it.
4- Meet yourself where you are.
Start from your comfort zone. Once you start to loosen up the body, get your energies flowing and moving it will be a whole lot easier to invite progressive challenge and start moving more dynamically if your energy is leading you there.
5- Mix up your regime.
Doing the same things over an over can be dull and become boring. If you have a set of movements like Pawanmuktasana or Surya Namaskar that you know very well – start adapting it, adding an extra movement here and there and exploring different positioning of body parts. Building a trusting relationship with your inner body wisdom, let your body lead you and be responsive to the moment.
6- Do have all the gear even if you have no idea.
I hear myself say this a lot. Make sure you have everything you need to make yourself feel comfortable before you start your practice or relaxation. Props are a really important part of being able to modify each pose or experiment with poses while you are there, without stopping the flow. If you find yourself slightly uncomfortable at the start of your Restorative pose, relaxation or Nidra this is only going to increase the longer you spend in the pose. Use all the pillows, towels, blankets, bolsters and pads that are available to you, you don’t need specialised Yoga gear, whatever you’ve already got at home usually can be made to work just as well. The better prepared you are, the more comfortable and deeper you’ll be able to go.
7- Tune in to your needs.
They will differ from day to day and season to season. It is a good idea to write down some of the mental or physical challenges you face. Do this task when you have the headspace. If you’ve had a challenging time with the kids and your brain is melted, this is not the right time to attempt this task, but is a good time to refer to your notes. Having some of your own ideas written in simple terms will prompt you when you’re mind is overloaded or blank. These could be things that have helped you in the past like. Here are some of mine:
Mobilisation to help me to use body parts that don’t get used when I’m sitting down a lot.
Stretching my back out because it feels stiffer and stiffer every day.
Focussing on breathing to help with the de-stress effect of Yoga.
Using free movements to loosen up and break free from negative moods.
Music with a beat makes me feel I can connect to a deeper experience.
When I am exhausted a moving practice does not serve me. I need to laydown and be still.
8- Use music.
Music is an extremely powerful tool and can be a great way to get yourself motivated to move. There are loads of music platforms out there where all sorts of music are easily accessible. Depending on your mood, and where you want to take yourself you could try some tribal beats, pumping dance tunes or gentle nature sounds. What you choose will depend on where you want to go. This is the type of tool that could make the difference between a short and unsatisfying practice to a longer practice that will leave lasting benefits.
9- Follow a video.
If you know you need something to follow along to, find an instructor who’s teaching you resonate with and offers lessons that suit your level and needs. You can always start by doing this and when you have build up some confidence and ideas you can start to explore how it might be to go it alone! If you want to try a recording of mine you can find a library of past classes here.
10- Lastly and most importantly – what’s the point?
If you know why you are practicing, this will help you to commit, to keep going, and keep coming back for more. Write it down. Do any of these reasons resonate with you?
Moving releases me in a way nothing else can.
On the exhalation I can finally feel myself letting go, and being less tense.
My mood changes after I have done a Yoga practice, I feel like the fog has lifted.
Moving slowly and rhythmically settles me. I feel less edgy and my anxiety fades into the background.
I need this to energise me, to move out of my stagnant state of mind and body.
If I don’t keep my body regularly mobile, I find doing more strenuous household tasks a bit scary because things go pop and ping as I get older.
I want to be supple because feeling stiff makes me feel limited and I don’t want to be.
The buzz I get from a dynamic practice that suits my energy makes me feel like I glow for hours after wards.
Yoga clears my head, and makes me feel like I have got space to give and receive.
The stillness that I have during a relaxation or Nidra is a different place, it is vast, and creative.
Would you like to know more about any of these tips as a focus for a future blog post? Reach out and let me know!
With Love from Wendy x