Daily Yoga Practice

Committing to daily yoga practice will change your life. I know that’s a big statement, but I fully believe in it. Yoga is so powerful, but it’s no good me just telling you that, you have to experience the benefits for yourself. We are all unique and individual, we all have different abilities, needs and body types so what works for one person may not necessarily work for you. You get to have fun and explore the different practices that are out there. There’s no such thing as one size fits all. You could try power yoga, yin yoga, slow flow, vinyasa, meditation, pranayama, yoga nidra or even a mixture of them all if you like! There really is something there for everyone you just have to find what works best for you and your body!

You’ve probably heard about the benefits of Yoga, from boosting your mood, increasing your strength and flexibility, increasing your energy, changing your perspective, lowering stress levels, relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression and increasing mindfulness. But what about the other benefits like being more present in the moment during your day, being able to find joy in even the most mundane tasks like washing the dishes, having more patience with your kids or partner, being able to pause and take a deep breath before reacting, feeling content has been one of the biggest ones for me –Santosha, one of the Niyamas from the eight limbs of yoga, Sanskrit for contentment. Being content in the here and now, content with everything exactly as it is. Experiencing Santosha is beautiful, the kind of stuff that might even bring a little tear to your eye when you realize how good it feels. Another huge one is getting to know yourself. Yoga is the gateway to your Self. The key to revealing the real you.

If you are someone who has tried to get into Yoga and haven’t been able to stick at it or maybe you haven’t got round to trying it yet, maybe you’ve tried and gave up but something inside you keeps pulling you back to it, you’re here reading this now for a reason. Maybe you haven’t not found the style that works for you yet or maybe you just have a lot of resistance to work through around it. My advice would be to try again. See if you can let go of the limiting beliefs and thoughts like “I can’t do this” “I’m doing it wrong” or “I’m too stiff” and focus on breathing. Lose yourself to your practice. Let go of all the limitations you are placing on yourself. Let go of the idea that Yoga has to look a certain way or be practiced in a particular way to be right. The beauty of a daily practice is it can be anything you want it to be it’s yours to make your own. Some mornings you might feel like moving your body in a powerful way and other times you might just want to relax in a child’s pose or Savasana! There’s no right or wrong if you are on your mat breathing you are practicing yoga. Whether you are there for 5 minutes or 50 minutes doesn’t matter what matters is the meaning you are giving to your practice each time you step on your mat. Showing up on your mat even if it's only for a few minutes every day builds the inner strength you need to get through those days where everything feels a bit too heavy. Having a consistent yoga practice really gave me a reason to get out of bed in the mornings, giving me the ability to face the day even on the days I really didn’t want to and it has changed my life forever.

I have Sarah Beth Yoga to thank for my daily practice her YouTube channel and yoga videos made it so easy to practice along and commit to it every day even if it was only a quick five minutes. Check out her channel on YouTube if you haven’t already she’s an amazing person and teacher who has been a huge inspiration to me throughout my Yoga journey and I sincerely hope that one day I can have the same impact with my teaching that she has had on me!

If you have been thinking about starting a yoga practice, take this as your sign to go ahead and do it. I challenge you to commit to practicing yoga for five minutes every morning for 21 days and see how you feel at the end of it who knows where it will lead. Take another step towards your own personal growth. 5 minutes out of your day for yourself isn’t much to ask and it could be the best decision you’ll ever make!

Love Renée