One of the most rewarding things about yoga is the way it makes you feel. Whether you’re practicing asanas, meditation, or yoga breathing, you inevitably feel better afterwards. You can wake up with kinks in your body that, in just a few minutes on your mat, can be wiped away. Your mind can be running in circles, yet just a few minutes of yoga breathing calms it down. You can be feeling sad or depressed, but when you focus your mind and heart on soothing Yoga Sound Meditation, you can feel those emotions melt away. These are wonderful techniques that enhance our well-being almost immediately, and they’re there for the taking—as long as you do them.
I know it can be challenging to practice regularly at home, where there’s always so much to do and so many distractions. The key is commitment. Decide that, no matter what, you’re going to do some yoga each day.
Because time always seems to be at a premium, I suggest going to bed earlier so you can get up earlier. You can adjust your sleeping hours slowly—going to bed and getting up 15 minutes earlier for a few days, then gradually increasing by 5 or 10 minutes, until you have 30 minutes to an hour of yoga time. When you get up earlier, you won’t feel like you’re taking time away from other things that need to be done. You can relax and really enjoy having that time to yourself for yoga.
But what if you sleep in and miss your window? Don’t worry. Just be committed to fitting in some yoga somewhere before bed. Maybe you can sneak in ten minutes, two or three times a day. Take some of the time you spend looking at your phone to do a few poses instead. If you’re at work or out and about, get creative. Stand tall in Mountain Pose while standing in line or waiting for your kids. Do Ankle Exercises while pumping gas, or Shoulder Rolls or Neck Exercises while sitting in the car (but not driving). I often do deep breathing, or silent meditation (repeating Yoga Sound to myself), while I’m getting acupuncture or a massage. It makes the session even more relaxing.
If you’re wondering what to practice when you’re at home, you may already be familiar with my various DVD series. They offer a variety of poses at different levels, along with short meditations at the end of each one, for a well-rounded session. So, feel free to use those regularly, or alternate them with a custom session you design yourself.
If you don’t have time to fit in meditation along with your asana practice, try taking a meditation break at midday, before dinner, or before you go to bed. Yoga Sound Meditation is particularly nice before sleep—and way more restful than checking Facebook.
Another thing that can be helpful in sticking to a home practice is keeping a journal. Even if you don’t enter much, just something like, “15 minutes of asanas, 5 of meditation,” will help you feel accountable and makes you less likely to miss a day. Jotting down when and what you practiced may also help you find a pattern that works best for you.
I hope these tips help you get motivated to do some yoga every day. If you already have a home practice and would like to share your tips, I’d love to hear them!
Best wishes,
Wai Lana
