Last week, while attending a party, a friend asked me how he could get his yoga practice started. He wanted to do yoga, his back hurt and he really needed to practice, he had even purchased our online course, opened it and had never gotten any further. He just couldn’t find the time to take for himself.
He asked if I had any suggestions or if others had done the same.
Yes, others have done the same! We receive inquires from folks that want to experience the many benefits of yoga but for some reason never get started.

How can we inspire those students to just begin?

Well, I know that it takes 3 key ingredients for a successful, long lasting yoga practice.

#1 Patience – It is helpful if you keep patience in mind as you begin. Be gentle with yourself when establishing a time to practice. So many get discouraged and set themselves up for failure right at the start. Saying to yourself that you are going to practice EVERY day is one sure way to fail. Even if you make it to your mat 4 or 5 times a week (which would be awesome) it’s not EVERYDAY, so be realistic in what you are truly able to do. We recommend starting off by practicing once a week and going slowly into your new routine. It takes only a short time to learn the basics of Let It Go Yoga, yet it is not a “quick fix.” Being patient with yourself and starting right where you are is the best place to start. You do not need to change a thing about yourself to get started. No need to wait until you feel better, are more flexible, or have the perfect place to practice. Just lie down and begin. A continued practice will allow you to open, unfold and evolve at your own personal rate. Learning yoga is a lifelong experience.

#2 Courage – It takes courage to start a yoga practice. I laughed when I first heard that! Why do you need courage? Because trying something new can bring up fear and fearful thoughts where you can talk yourself right out of doing something that’s good for you. It’s hard to describe, and logically explain why but even new students intuitively know that yoga is going to create changes on a deeper level. Practicing yoga will change your posture, it will change your level of flexibility and it may change your thoughts and could change your lifestyle. These changes can bring positive new experiences to all aspects of your life. Yet change can be scary as for many of us, myself included, and yet we know that fear of the unknown can keep us from enjoying a happier, healthier life. Let It Go Yoga gives the student a safe place to begin the process of self discovery.

#3 Commitment – Let It Go Yoga works, and in order to benefit, all you need to do is begin. Make a doable commitment to yourself and stick to it. In our course we ask that you set an hour aside to practice yoga once a week for six weeks. Just find a place free from distractions and give yourself the gift of self-maintenance. Many distractions will keep you from your commitment, if you allow it. We have heard some good ones: being invited out to dinner, receiving a phone call, etc. These are all “tests from the Universe”. Are you really committed to putting yourself first? When you do keep your agreement with yourself, not only will you practice yoga, but you will have the added empowering benefit of keeping your word and showing up for yourself. We know that making the commitment for six weeks will give the practice a chance to work for you. We have been told by many that after six weeks of a once-a-week-practice they had felt the benefits and, as a result, had established their personal yoga practice. Once this habit is set, you will want to do more! But, no one can do it for you. You owe it yourself to set time aside for yourself, show up, put your body on your yoga mat and just begin.
We are here to help you every step of the way!

Sue Anne Parsons 500 EYT, CYT – owner of Let It Go Yoga since 1986

Want to know more about Let It Go Yoga? Click here to view your free Diaphragmatic Breathing Video!