The Key to Consistency
If you are newer to the physical practice of yoga and are struggling to make it a regular routine, I get it. Starting a new routine is hard. But for me one of the most important things, if not THE most important thing about seeing and feeling the benefits from your yoga practice is consistency. Just like everything else that has the potential to improve your lifestyle, to see the positive change you have to be disciplined, motivated and consistent. I know this is easier said than done, so I thought I’d share why consistency is so important, why we often struggle with it, and my top tips for staying on track.
Firstly, something I always encourage you to remember is that yoga is not just about asana (physical postures). It is an ancient tradition deep-rooted in Eastern traditions, with lots of philosophical and spiritual teachings. However, asana is what yoga tends to focus on over here in the West and of course it has many benefits both physically and mentally. When people ask me if I practice yoga everyday I say ‘yes, but that doesn’t mean I do a physical practice everyday’. I’d encourage you to read this blog post about some of the wider teachings of yoga and how it can feed into our everyday lives. That being said, I believe that the physical practice is a great way to help build a healthy mind and body, and a great gateway to learning more about the teachings of yoga as a whole. And if we want to see the amazing benefits that yoga asana can have, we need to be consistent.
“Be kind, patient and know that it is a journey that will ebb and flow. Accept it for what it is and welcome the highs as well as the lows. ”
Some things that helped me become consistent with my meditation and yoga practice:
Decide to do it at a regular time. Whether that’s committing to a class or two every week, or carving out a section of your day to practice online at home, setting an intention to do it at a set time and writing it down as part of your day in your diary can be really helpful. Many people will say the morning is the best time to do this. I actually tend to reserve my meditation practice for first thing in the morning and do my yoga asana later in the day, but everyone is different and it’s important to look at when best fits in with your schedule.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to practice for a long period of time. Going from doing little yoga at home to deciding to do a full hour every single day probably isn't going to go too well. We want to make the goal achievable. Maybe start with 30 mins 2 or 3 times a week and once that has become a regular routine, you can increase it if you’d like to.
Reframe your thinking around it. It shouldn’t be seen as a chore and if you start to have that mindset you’ll start to build a negative association. Instead remind yourself how amazing it is that you have a body that you are able to move in this way. Feel a sense of gratitude for being able to step on your mat, switch off from the world, and build a resilient body and a calm mind.
Really reflect on how it makes you feel whilst doing the practice, when you complete it, and during the rest of your day. You might find that you sleep better, you feel less stressed, some niggling pains that you have been getting are reduced, or your body feels stronger and more stable. Remind yourself of these feelings when that negative voice creeps in and them as motivation to stay consistent.
Most importantly, don’t worry if you lose the routine for a while! We all have lots going on in our lives and sometimes things have to take a backseat. That’s okay. But just know that you always have your practice to come back to when you are ready. Be kind, patient and know that it is a journey that will ebb and flow. Accept it for what it is and welcome the highs as well as the lows.
There are a lot of things that the mind will tell you to try and stop you from being consistent with your practice. It might say things like ‘I don’t have the time’ or ‘classes don’t fit in with my schedule’. I find that the key to consistency is making it easy for yourself so that the mind doesn't have the chance to come up with excuses. For example, I leave my yoga mat out as much as I can. Whilst it does drive my boyfriend crazy to constantly have it in the middle of our living room(!), it’s all ready to go when I’m ready to do my practice - I don’t even have to unroll it. I’ve made it easy for myself.
I know that creating a new routine is challenging, so I wanted to do what I can to help make it easy for you too. That’s why I recently launched my online membership which has a selection of yoga flows that you can do in your own home at a time that works for you. I’ve kept it super affordable so that it is accessible to as many people as possible. The cost is just £15 a month and for that you get access to 2 x 1 hour flows, 2 x 30 minute flows and a guided meditation, as well as access to the whole archive of videos. Click here to learn more about it and get in touch if you have any questions!
Safe practicing,
Nikki x