Last year, I was in the habit of practicing yoga regularly – mostly thanks to my favorite instructor taking her class from in studio to Facebook Live. It felt great being able to stretch regularly and feel a tinge of normalcy from pre-pandemic days. At the end of the year, the studio let go of the instructor, and my excitement to practice yoga on a weekly basis significantly dropped. I wanted to continue my practice, but didn’t feel motivated once I was out of the groove. This month, I am determined to bring my practice back to life, and I’ve found a few ways that have helped me kickstart my journey. These methods tend to work for me when I’m feeling like starting up again. You could even buy some gold stars to give yourself every time that you practice.

 

Add yoga to your morning routine

I have been waking up earlier lately in an attempt to enjoy my morning before I start work for the day. I love spending time making coffee, reading, or listening to podcasts while simultaneously taking time off from mentally preparing my to-do list. I have found that taking some time to stretch greatly contributes to my positivity during the workday. It only takes a little convincing for me to roll out of bed and onto the yoga mat, but once I start moving, I feel ready to take on a yoga flow. I find that even a small practice gets me on track to a very refreshing start to the day.

Try stretching for 20 minutes

When I’m debating whether or not to practice yoga that day, I often tell myself that I don’t have an hour to commit to yoga today. It seems like a long time to stray away from other responsibilities on my list of things to do. I have found that telling myself to stretch for twenty minutes is an easier, more achievable goal in my head. It’s much easier for me to get excited to get out my yoga mat. Once I do practice for twenty minutes, I typically want to stay a few more minutes. Maybe it’s just me, but this small psychological trick keeps me coming back to the mat in small increments.

Ease into your practice

If you’re not initially feeling up for a yoga class, take it slow. Notice how your body is feeling and let that awareness guide your practice. If you’re following a class, don’t feel the pressure to keep up if you feel like it. It’s important to go at your own pace. Remember that you’re practicing for yourself and this is time set aside for you. Sometimes I skim through a yoga video, just to get an idea of what I’ll be practicing before I start. Even if you use an online class as inspiration for your own practice, the thought and time that you spend stretching will be worth it.

Practice Let It Go Yoga

A great class to ease back into yoga is through the Let It Go practice. It’s so refreshing and accommodating for any state of mind. The Let It Go Yoga practice is 100% lying down, so I can stay in a state of relaxation throughout the class but still feel accomplished when I practice the challenging poses. While it benefits the full body, I find that Let It Go Yoga is the perfect listen to work on opening my hips. The class includes many variations so it works really well for coming back to yoga or an avid yogi. Try it the next time you need some guidance on your yoga flow!

New to Let It Go Yoga? – Start Here

Try a new class

If you’re open to switching up your routine, try out a new yoga video or teacher! You never know what you’ll end up coming back to over and over again. There are yoga classes on Zoom, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook among other platforms and sometimes it’s fun to see what the world has to offer. You may find a yoga community that you didn’t even know existed! I’m open to recommendations as well, so please let me know in the comments if you swear by a sequence that everyone should get in on.

 

I hope one (or more) of these reasons will help you feel motivated to get back into it! Yoga is so helpful and it’s an easy way to feel happy and accomplished after only a few minutes. Don’t forget your gold star after a successful yoga class. Namaste and happy practicing!

Written by Emily Parsons, Certified Let It Go Yoga teacher. Photo by Nate Skeen.

New to Let It Go Yoga? – Start Here