Ready to Start Yoga?

How to Start Yoga

Choose a time of day that suits you.

If you are a morning person, first thing in the morning is great. Set your alarm clock for fifteen minutes earlier to start with. If you don’t enjoy an early start, it may be better for you to do yoga before you go to bed which will help you to sleep soundly and unload the day’s worries.

Start with 10 minutes yoga each day

I found over the years that I felt better after doing yoga in the morning instead of staying in bed no matter how tired I thought I was. When I did stay in bed, I was annoyed with myself for missing out on yoga. I miss out on feeling great and I probably didn’t go back to sleep anyway. 

Find a space that you enjoy being in and which is free from clutter and is warm. Knowing the room is warm and lovely to be in makes it so much easier to get up and start your yoga. Make it your own space.

What Yoga Can I do?

Remember a few poses from your last yoga class that you enjoyed. Start with those postures. Pay attention to synchronising your breathing with each posture. Keep  focused on maximum stretch with no strain. Always finish with a relaxation, otherwise you may leave your practice feeling agitated.

Developing Strength and Flexibility – both Physically and Mentally When you do yoga on a daily basis, as well as developing strength and flexibility in your body, you are de-stressing and fostering inner strength. Your inner strength develops as you overcome procrastination and self-sabotage.

I love the way yoga is not just what we do on the mat, it is a gift we take into our life. Shantimurti from Parnell Ashram Yoga once said that we all go through much the same challenges in our lives, but it is about how we deal with life’s challenges that makes the difference.

Yoga makes that difference.

My Yoga Journey

Just getting on my mat and doing yoga in my home practice takes inner strength because there is always many other things that need to be done. Procrastination can be a challenge. I observe that if I procrastinate about my yoga practice, it is likely I also procrastinate with lots of other issues in my life. I have to work on it, and yoga is the best place to start.

Self sabotage can be the same.

Along my yoga journey I started to notice patterns to my behaviours. This self awareness is one of the wonderful gifts of yoga – self change doesn’t happen without self -study. Let’s face it, we can’t change anyone else, but I can change myself. As I change I notice my relationships often change for the better. Or I have the inner strength to let relationships go that I feel are toxic.

Yoga sets me up for the day. I become aware of my own inner sanctuary that is unaffected by time, place and person. No matter what life is throwing at me, this is a place of stillness, peace and self love.

And as I become more aware of my inner sanctuary I become more proactive in my daily life – rather than reactive to life’s challenges. Gradually I begin to notice how my reactions become less extreme. As I react less, I make choices that attract less dramas, because I am learning to listen to my intuition and be true to myself, not merely reacting to someone’s story. I start to live my own life.