Wondering what the next steps should be in your yoga journey? That’s a question many beginners have, but it’s one that doesn’t need to require a lot of cost or effort to answer. Read on to learn about some simple and affordable steps you can take to enhance your yoga practice.
Creating a Practice Space in Your Home
Are you setting weekly goals for your yoga practice? If not, you may not be getting the most out of your practice. Thankfully, yoga apps make it easy to create reminders and stay motivated so you can practice your poses throughout the week. Many of these yogi-approved apps are free, but some do offer additional features for a monthly or annual subscription rate. Best of all for beginners, these apps include countless tutorials and tips that make getting comfortable with asanas a little less intimidating.
Of course, the best way for beginners to get in the habit of practicing yoga on a regular basis is to create a home yoga space. If you’re worried about costs, you can use Amazon coupon codes to pick up everything you need from sites like Amazon. From blocks to blankets to mats, Amazon should have all the basic supplies you need to build a comfortable home practice space. Stick with the essentials if you are working with minimal square footage, but if you have the room, think about adding soothing touches such as essential oils or ambient lighting. Aside from being less costly than paying for yoga classes, a home practice can be helpful for breaking the unhelpful habit of comparing yourself to others.
Being Willing to Challenge Your Comfort Zones
There’s a non-harming yama in yoga that is important for beginners to grasp. If you want to take your practice to the next level, though, discomfort can be important, too. Discomfort can provide lessons during your yoga practice, especially when you learn how to breathe through those uncomfortable sensations and listen to what your mind or body is trying to tell you. So as you settle into a more regular yoga practice, think of ways to get outside of your normal realm of comfort so that you can experience these lessons for yourself.
For example, you could always try hot yoga, if you haven’t before. Hot yoga can burn a few extra calories, but more importantly, it can make many physical poses more comfortable or attainable. If you do opt for a hot yoga class and you bring your phone, you may need a waterproof protective case in order to keep moisture and sweat from ruining your device. Make sure you can still access controls and functions, though, in case you utilize your phone during your home yoga practice.
Adapting Your Yoga Practice to Fit Your Schedule
Many beginning yogis may shy away from creating a consistent practice because they believe they are too busy to do so. But you don’t need hours of free time in your day in order to reap the benefits that a regular yoga practice can offer. In a mere 7 minutes, you can incorporate a daily yoga routine that will provide relief from stress and even improve your strength, balance, and flexibility. You can find other short yoga flows as well, so be sure to check out videos and tutorials online.
Also, think about creating a morning routine around yoga so that you can wake up refreshed and ready to take on your day. Doing yoga early can also help you get it out of the way, which can make sticking to those weekly practice goals even easier. Of course, there are also benefits to practicing yoga at night. A short bedtime yoga routine can ease your body and mind, while providing that same jumpstart to your next morning. No matter how much time you have or when you practice, though, stepping on your mat is most important.
The key to progressing with yoga is finding a balance between comfort and challenge. So create goals, practice spaces, or habits that you enjoy, but also don’t be afraid of breaking out of your comfort zone!
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