5 tips to achieve a constant practice of yoga at home

So, are you one of those people who start their first week of yoga with a crazy desire and by the second they have already put the mat in the storage room?

If you feel identified with this, do not feel bad. It has happened to all of us at some point. As that phrase says: “The beginnings were never easy”.

Dinner, your children’s soccer, work, housework or the friend who needs to talk, whatever it is, something always comes up that takes you away from yoga. Don’t worry, here are five tips that will make it hard to get off the mat.

1. Make it a priority, but be lenient:

Establishing your yoga practice at home as a fundamental part of the day ensures that you are going to do it or at least try it, since you have made an “agreement” with yourself that you do not want to skip it.

And if your son gets sick (he always does it at the best time), you have to stay a few extra hours at work, or you don’t remember what the sunlight is like anymore, take a break, practice as long as you can or relax (but feel no remorse!).

2. Keep it real

No matter how passionate you are about yoga, there are going to be days that you just won’t be able to practice. Do you think many people are capable of dedicating 90 minutes to it, seven days a week?

Many of us would like to be able to dedicate that time to it, but most of the time you have to situate yourself, you are not a yogi from India, you have a job, perhaps a family to attend to and limited time. There is always the option of leaving everything and going to India to become a Yogi, right?

Jokes aside, set realistic expectations, 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes is a very good goal. If you can practice longer, great! If not, at least you’ve managed to get your mat out a few times this week and that’s what really matters.

3. Be aware of why you do it

Defining why is one of the first steps to a constant practice of yoga.

You can’t expect to do yoga three times a week if you don’t even know why you’re doing it.

It seems so absurd that many times we take it for granted and do not stop to think about why we do something. How many times have you lost hope in a project or activity shortly after starting? Surely, many of those times, it could have been for something as simple as that you were not clear about the objective, or the reasons why you were doing it.

Write on a piece of paper why you do yoga, what benefits it brings you and how you feel after doing it. Read it every time you doubt if it is worth continuing to practice yoga.

Many people also keep a little journal where they write down all the times they have done yoga and how it feels in the process. Don’t be afraid if someone reads it, you are no longer eight years old, no one is going to steal it from you to discover your secrets about yoga. And if you do, you may be amazed at what you’re missing.

That yes, choose what you choose, take it with you, you never know when you will need it.

4. The calendar is your best friend

Did you think that the calendar only served to overwhelm and stress you?

Far from it, the calendar can be a great ally when it comes to maintaining the practice of yoga. When something goes from being on your mind to the calendar, it has to be important to you of course. This action increases the value you give to the activity and helps you get closer to your “whys”.

You can mark it as if it were the appointment with the dentist, or the meeting with your boss. Make sure you put it at least three times. Perhaps Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are good for you, or Thursdays are better for you, modify it to your liking.

5. Your friends count too

So you go shopping with your friends and you can’t do yoga with them?

Tell them to practice with you! One of the best ways to stay consistent is to get a friend involved, when you do that it’s much easier to get motivated. Your relationship will improve and you will feel more connected.

Imagine that one day you have less desire or you do not feel like it so much, (if you have chosen the right friend) he will make sure that you practice yoga. It will also tell you that:

Your place or mine?

Yoga of course…

Following these five steps, you will have the map to the treasure of the constant practice of yoga, but unearthing it is up to you, we were not going to do it all for you!

By the way, remember that lazy friend too! (Not just the one who does yoga with you), he will appreciate it if you pass him this infallible recipe to never give up yoga again.