Thinking about trying yoga? Or maybe it’s been a while since you practiced? If you’re not sure how to begin (or begin again), fear not, I’m here to help.
Keep reading. This article has some great tips for you!
#1. Practice acceptance
Take a moment to assess where you are, right now, and accept it. I hear you, it’s not always easy to find acceptance with ourselves, especially when you have goals that you haven’t reached. But I encourage you to try because you simply can’t begin anywhere else.
Acceptance doesn’t mean you’re giving up, settling, or not moving forward toward a goal. It means you are taking a conscious look at reality.
You must begin here, exactly as you are, right now.
#2 Throw out any expectations
Any and all expectations, throw them out! They may sound like…
(Insert whiney voice because even adults whine, right.)
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“I should be able to touch my toes by now.”
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“The poses look so easy on Instagram, why can’t I do them?”
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“I should be able to meditate for 20 minutes.”
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“Why can’t I calm my mind like they do?”
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“I used to be able to balance on one leg, why can’t I now?!”
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“I should get a new wardrobe for practicing.”
No whining, no wistful thinking about the way things should be.
Instead, focus on the core of yoga – to unite the mind, body, and spirit. You don’t have to touch your toes, sit for 20 minutes, or wear special clothing to do that.
Let go of all the “shoulds” and come as you are. Be present.
#3 Keep in mind that yoga is NOT about shapes
I wrote about common misconceptions about yoga. A big one is that yoga is about putting your body into shapes, which is false. It’s about your breath, calming the mind, finding inner strength, and finding freedom in your body.
You may wonder why then yoga teachers are picky about body alignment during a class if it’s not about shapes. Any student that’s been in my class knows I’m picky about what their feet, knees, and pelvis are doing.
The poses can help us calm the mind, concentrate, and increase awareness of our breath and bodies.
AND. We want to keep our bodies safe while doing it.
#4 Notice your breath
Simply noticing your inhales and exhales can lead to better sleep, reduced stress, and more focus. With our modern lives pushing and pulling us in so many directions, it’s easy to not even notice our breath. What’s your breath doing right now – were you holding it?
Take note of your breath at different times throughout the day. It may surprise you how it changes, depending on what you’re doing.
#5 Remember that small actions can lead to big impacts
It’s often assumed that you have to practice for 60 minutes to see any changes. I don’t know about you, but that sounds overwhelming at this time in my life! It can be challenging to find an extra 30 minutes, let alone an entire hour!
A little secret about me…I used to try to set aside 45-60 minutes to practice. Not every day but most days. Sounds great, right?
Well.
It would stress me out because I already felt pulled in so many directions. I felt like I had a million other things to do.
So. More often than not I didn’t end up doing anything. I would even come to my mat, start to practice, then stop because I had all these “shoulds” swirling in my head.
I had to find a way for my practice to work with my life because I knew the benefits. I knew I felt better mentally, emotionally, and physically.
A regular 60-minute practice wasn’t feasible. So, I started practicing for 15 minutes, sometimes 10 minutes. Or maybe sat and focused on my breath for 5 minutes, even 2 minutes sometimes.
This worked. I built momentum. Small actions can be more manageable when you feel so busy already.
Good thing small actions that take minutes, done regularly, can lead to big changes.
#6 Commit
Commit to yourself. Commit to being patient.
Don’t commit to a practice that is unsustainable for you right now. Find one that is manageable. Set yourself up for success by starting with something small, something you can commit to every day.
Let’s say you decide on 5 minutes a day. Awesome. Start there.
There may be days when it slips your mind or finding even 5 minutes is difficult. That’s okay. You know that tomorrow, or the next day, you’ll find the time because you’re committed to yourself.
#7 Find a class
If you’re new to yoga, or it’s been a while since you’ve practiced, then I encourage you to find a class to attend.
Classes are usually 60 minutes, sometimes more. So why is this a tip?
Community. Even though you are in a zone in your practice, you’re practicing with people interested in the shared connection of the mind, body, and spirit.
Feedback. No matter what you are doing in the class the instructor can offer guidance and feedback. This is so important for deepening your practice and for keeping your body safe. A yoga teacher is constantly watching their yogis to keep them safe.
Accountability. Let’s face it, attending a structured class with a specific start and stop time keep us accountable. Otherwise, we may be tempted to skip part of a practice, such as Savasana (I’m guilty of that!).
Inspiration. This is a great benefit of attending a class. You can take pieces of the class and use them for your 5-minute practice (or whatever you committed to).
Maybe there was a breathing practice you really liked. Take that and practice it. Or maybe you noticed that a couple of poses helped your concentration and balance. Do those.
It can be challenging to start any new practice. These 7 tips will not only help you start a practice, but are important to keep in mind as you continue with it.
If you tend to feel defeated when you face a setback check out this article on building resilience.
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