You now have yoga at your fingertips, don’t have to spend time in traffic to get to a class and you can even practice in your pj’s; yet somehow it can seem hard to know where to start.

Whenever I am struggling with something it’s usually because I have not made a clear commitment to myself or the thing I want to accomplish.

If you find yourself not practicing as consistently as you would like go back to your “why”.  Why do you practice yoga in the first place?  Is it to feel strong & destress, have fun & enjoy your relationships or be successful in life?  Or is it to feel inspired to do something you’ve always wanted to do? Whatever it is for you, write it down and make a decision.  I am going to start my online yoga practice.

Here are some tips on how to start your online yoga practice.

 

Tip # 1.  Pick your class and schedule your day around it.

This may be one of the biggest challenges to taking online yoga classes. Accountability. It’s funny how sometimes the easier things are, the harder they seem to pull off. Most likely no one forces you to put on those yoga, pants, grab your mat and drive to class, yet somehow when you have the option to do it anywhere anytime the opportunity can easily slip away. Make a conscious decision to take X amount of classes/week and then put them in your calendar, on your bathroom mirror or tape it to your forehead.

Tip # 2.  Give yourself props!

You actually don’t need any props to do yoga unless you are taking a restorative class, which is centered around props. For most yoga classes, tho it’s really up to you. At Ironwood, we love props and encourage you to use them to sort of “bring the posture to you”. Useful props might be a two blocks, a blanket, and a strap.

Standard props for restorative yoga are: 3 blankets, 2 blocks, 1 bolster, 1 sandbag, and 1 strap. You can always substitute books for blocks, couch cushions & pillows for bolsters, towels for blankets or straps, belts or ties for straps.

Tip # 3.  Create a sacred space for you to practice:

It can be really helpful to go to the same place each time you practice. Telling the mind and the body it is time to practice yoga. Maybe you have pictures of people that inspire you, flowers, candles or objects that make you happy.

Tip # 4.  F*CK the sacred space.

Maybe you have animals or kids in the house. It’s loud and you don’t want to have to clean the floor every time you want to practice yoga. Embrace your surroundings, be neutral to sound and get dirty. Work with what you’ve got. Ultimately it doesn’t matter what your environment is like, what matters is your commitment to yourself.  I find that if I do the important internal work, my external world begins to fall into place naturally.

Tip # 5.  What we resist persists.

With this platform, it is easier than ever to try classes you might not normally consider. Usually what we want is not always what we need. Are you a person who finds it hard to slow down? A restorative or yin class might surprisingly make you feel more productive. If you tend to stick with classes that stay on the floor, you might try adding a more rigorous class like vinyasa. When you are new, start with Level 1. This will likely bring more energy, change and balance into your life.

It’s now easier than ever to create a home yoga practice and tailor it to your specific needs.  The key is commitment to your “why”.

I like to think it as devotion rather than discipline.

Discipline can feel rigid and hard, but devotion is an act of love and when you live from that place, showing up for yourself is easy.