A question that has been asked by one of our readers recently has been – How to practice Yoga Successfully?
In this post, I’ll make an attempt to answer that.
We are all aware of the benefits of Yoga, and meditation. If you are reading this post, it’s highly likely that you would have at some point at least given practicing Yoga some through. It’s possible that you are already practicing it or have practiced it earlier but could not continue. In this post, I bring to you 7 tips that can help you successfully practice Yoga and also get physical and mental benefits out of it.
1. Create Daily Routines
Set aside time for your practice.
If you want to make yoga a part of your daily routine, then you need to make it part of your schedule. The same way that you have work and family obligations, so too should yoga be incorporated into your life as a priority. It’s like any other commitment: once it becomes part of the flow, then things run smoother.
Create a habit for yourself with some dedicated time every day or every week that is solely focused on self-care through yoga practice, meditation, or whatever else works for you at this point in time. You can always change up what works best later!
2. Focus on Breathing
There is nothing more important than breathing. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, or breathe in through your nose and out through your nose, or breathe in through your mouth and out through your mouth, or breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose.
Breathing is everything.
3. Be Consistent
Consistency is key to a successful practice. The more you do it, the more benefits you’ll reap—and the easier it will be to keep up.
We all want to be perfect at something in our lives, but let’s face it: it rarely happens that way. Still, if you stay consistent and keep doing your practice every day (or close enough), your yoga will take off. You’ll start noticing improvements in how you feel as well as how your body looks and moves.
One of the best ways to get better at anything is simply by doing it over time. When I first started practicing yoga regularly (about five years ago), I wasn’t very good at it at all! But now? It’s my favorite thing! The more I worked on my asana practice, the more flexible I became—and now I can do things like balance on one leg while holding my other foot with both hands above me or lift myself into a handstand!
Even though these skills might seem far out there right now, don’t be discouraged by them—they are totally achievable if you stay consistent with your practice for long enough.
4. Don’t Overthink the Pose
One of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking too much. We spend so much time trying to get it right, that we forget to enjoy the experience.
Don’t worry about how you look in a pose. Don’t worry about what the person next to you is doing or saying. Just focus on your breath and movement, and let go of everything else that’s going on around you (or inside of you).
Focus on feeling your body in each pose; don’t let this time be a chance for self-criticism or judgment – just focus on yourself and accept things as they are at any given moment!
5. Trust the Process
The process is the most important part of yoga, so don’t get hung up on what you see in front of you. It is the most important part of success, so don’t get hung up on the progress or the lack of it.
Trust yourself to be present with your breath and body while focusing on improving each pose one day at time during your practice—no matter how far away those goals may seem right now!
6. Don’t Just Move, Feel
You can’t focus on the pose and feel at the same time. In yoga, it’s important to find a balance between mind and body. When we’re focusing on our movements, it can be easy to lose ourselves in what we think we should be doing instead of what is actually happening inside us.
If you find yourself struggling with this, try sitting still in meditation while focusing only on your breath. This will help you get out of your head and into your body where all of the magic happens!
Remember that there is no right way or wrong way to do a pose—and that’s exactly how it should be! Each person has a unique body structure and style, so there are many different ways for each person to explore their bodies from day-to-day. Learn more about how to do this HERE
7. Find a teacher/trainer or guru
If you’re new to yoga, it can be difficult to know where to begin. One of the best ways to get started is by finding a teacher or trainer who will help guide your practice. Here are some things that are important when choosing someone:
- Education and certifications: Find someone who is knowledgeable, skilled and has been around long enough that they have a good reputation.
- Good communication skills: A good instructor should be able to explain the benefits of their instruction in an easy-to-understand way without being condescending or overwhelming you with too much information at once. They should also be able to answer any questions you might have about their program or other aspects of yoga practice including how often it should be practiced (3 times per week) and what types of foods may help improve its effects (eating well). Most importantly though, they needn’t only talk about themselves but listen carefully when answering your questions so as not make anyone feel like just another customer on assembly line rather than unique person with unique needs.”
Conclusion
If you’re new to yoga, hopefully, we’ve given you some insight into what it means to practice. If you’ve practiced for a long time, perhaps this has helped refresh your understanding of what makes a practice successful.
In either case, remember that how you approach your yoga practice is up to you! It may take a little experimentation with different styles and instructors to find the one that works best for your body and mind. Whatever path you choose, however, we hope these keys will help guide your way along the way.