The Importance of Daily Yoga Practice
Daily yoga practice is a commitment to yourself and to your own growth. Daily practice is essential to help us stay physically fit, mentally balanced, spiritually connected, and emotionally strong. It is a simple, accessible, and affordable practice that can be done almost anywhere. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated, even if you only have 15 minutes per day, it will still benefit your body, mind, and spirit. When we practice daily, we create a powerful foundation and clear attention to progress along the path toward enlightenment.
THE CHALLENGE OF DAILY PRACTICE
Students often come to yoga filled with enthusiasm. They invest in yoga mats and athletic wear; they sign up for classes and declare they now “do yoga.”
As they immerse themselves in their practice, they begin to come face to face with their ego, their fears, frustrations and anger that they can’t touch their nose to their knees.
Bodies long conditioned to a state of numbness respond with pain as under-used muscles are summoned to the work they have long leveled on joints. Egos suffer as yogis look around the room comparing themselves to advanced students.
Many stopped coming to class and eventually quit. But it’s at that juncture where we meet our obstacles and excuses that the true challenge of our practice begins.
THE BENEFITS OF DOING YOGA EVERYDAY
We will not transform our practice—nor, in turn, our practice transforms our lives—if we do not practice regularly. The more we practice, the deeper we delve into our potential and our true selves.
What happens if you practice yoga every day? A daily practice empowers us with the spiritual confidence gained from progressing through the asanas and breaking through mental, physical, and emotional obstacles.
Moreover, daily practice cultivates the attitude that through patience and compassion, not brute strength, we can accomplish just about anything on and off our mats. Daily yoga practice has many great benefits!
It helps keep us grounded, centered, balanced, flexible, strong, calm, clear-headed, focused, relaxed, happy, healthy, and free from stress and anxiety. In other words, it keeps us sane!
HOW TO START A DAILY YOGA PRACTICE
Many people struggle with how to begin a daily practice. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the thought of trying to fit a new activity into your life and daily routine. Here are a few tips to help you get started.
Set a time. I recommend setting aside time each day to do a short yoga routine. Examine your daily routine to find the most ideal time to take time for self-care. Set up reminders on your phone to remind you to practice.
Start small. Committing to a short practice will make it much more likely to accomplish every day. It can be as simple as five minutes of sun salutations or a few beginner yoga poses, followed by some pranayama (breathing exercises), and ending with a few minutes of meditation. You don’t have to spend hours on your mat; just start small and build from there.
Keep at it. The most important thing to keep in mind is that consistency is essential if you want to see results. The best way to maintain consistency over time is to make it part of your lifestyle. Schedule a specific time during which you will meditate or perform a yoga pose. And if you miss one day, don’t beat yourself up! Simply pick back up where you left off next week. As long as you continue practicing regularly, you will improve over time.
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