The Art of a Personal Yoga Practice
As many of you are aware, the practice of yoga is a very ancient science. It might surprise you though that yoga was never classically taught in a group. Traditionally this practice was taught to an individual student by an experienced teacher who would reveal the techniques to the student as they demonstrated readiness.
One of the aims of yoga is to reduce old negative habits and attitudes that do not serve the student. In Sanskrit (the root language of India) these habits, thoughts, words or deeds are called a samskara.
According to the Yoga Sutras, the traditional yoga teachings, to enable the old samskaras (bad habits) to be replaced with more powerful new samskaras (good habits) the practice of yoga is to be done each day.
Now you might be thinking there is no way I could add in a 60-90 minute yoga class to my schedule each and every day. Well, this daily practice does not need to be long to reap the benefits. For example, a daily 10-minute practice will yield much greater benefits than a longer practice done twice per week.
The benefits of doing yoga daily
So, what are the benefits of doing a daily yoga practice? Well put simply all the benefits we already know about in practicing yoga increase ten-fold when practiced daily. These include:
reducing blood pressure
balancing the autonomic system
enhancing respiratory efficiency
building strength and mobility
improving balance
reducing stress and anxiety
enhancing motor and cognitive skills
building self-awareness
enhancing overall well-being and health.
Putting aside all the above health benefits, a short practice in the morning can start your day off on the right track, and one in the evening can gently relax you for a great night sleep.
How to implement a daily practice
Here are some tips on implementing a short daily practice.
1. Ask your yoga teacher
If you are already attending a group yoga class, why not ask your yoga teacher at the end of the class if they would be happy to provide you with some suggestions on a short practice to do at home.
2. Find a yoga therapist
If you would like to tackle a specific health condition or injury with your daily yoga practice than seek out a yoga therapist. A yoga therapist will focus on your individual needs and provide yoga techniques to help you to feel better or improve function surrounding your health condition.
3. Set up a space for your practice
Having a space set aside in your home where your yoga mat is rolled out ready to go will act as a reminder and help motivate you to step on the mat each day. If it is tricky to set up a dedicated space, you could always roll your mat out just before you go to bed in the spot you would like to practice the following morning.
4. Incorporate it in your normal routine
Take a close look at what you already do for your morning routine or evening routine and be realistic in how much time you can set aside for your yoga practice each day. Adding it into your normal routine where it won’t become too cumbersome will ensure that it too will soon become just part of that routine – your new healthy samskaras.
As the Yoga Sutras tell us, the method to success is uninterrupted practice over a long period of time. So, remember this doesn’t need to be long, the magic of yoga can happen even with just a 10-minute daily practice.