Yoga discovered me in my bedroom in Bucharest, Romania in the middle of a depression. In the first 9 months, I have practiced yoga 100% at home. Back then I didn’t know anything about yoga, but it made me feel happy.
Today I practice yoga more than I ever practiced before. I remember myself when I was struggling to practice at least 2 times per week. I told myself all the excuses possible. Don’t have enough time. It’s boring. My house is not clean (you know, you have to roll out your mat and you can see the dust on the floor – and I have a dog, too). Believe me, I used all the excuses I could find, but still, the only thing that made me hop on my mat was the feeling I get after the practice. Even today, it is the driving force behind my practice.
When you realize that no one said it is going to be easy to practice yoga, you show up on your mat. Your excuses become the lessons you need to learn. They push you out of your comfort zone.
In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.”―
Practice With Consistency
Pick a day and a time and, stick to it. If you’ve been to my classes, you know I’m a huge fan of consistency. I think the reason why most of our attempts to grow in any way become a struggle or ultimately fail is that we aim way too big, way too early. Long-lasting change happens with small steps.
Immerse Yourself
Watch videos, go to new studios, find free community classes, read articles, listen to podcasts, share stories, hang with other yogis, and practice as much as possible.
Join as many classes, workshops, and training as you can. Look for those teachers that send beautiful messages that inspire you, who link the movement with the breath, and ask you to tap into how you feel.
Find books and leaders that challenge you to dig deeper
This is a super important step for me. I’m interested to see and understand how others are thinking. How they see the world around them. Know that it’s normal to agree or disagree with some of their opinions. And this is a good sign. It means you are discerning.
Some of my favorite books are:
- The Code of the Extraordinary Mind by Vishen Lakhiani
- Journey To The Heart by Melody Beattie
- Perfectly Imperfect by Baron Baptiste
- Thrive by Arianna Huffington
I truly hope this gives you a sparkle of inspiration to create more space for your practice to grow in your day to day activities.
If you like the article, feel free to share it with others. That would be highly appreciated.
Yours,
Alexandra
