That class you take a few times a month is wonderful, right? It makes you feel great and does good things for you… but it has nothing on a short, daily yoga practice at home. Seriously. How, you say?
Daily Repetition (Discipline).To get the optimal healing, growth, and happiness for your body-mind, yoga must be a regular practice, not just a sporadic thing. A daily practice is closer to the original spiritual-physical intent of yoga. It is far better to do just 20 minutes of yoga daily than to push through a long class once every other week.
Move Mindfully Through Emotions. When you come to your mat every day, you come at many different states – tired, energized, etc., and you have the opportunity to move through your emotional states as well. You can mindfully practice through anger, sadness, fear, shame, and more – quite literally, moving these through your body. When you practice not just when you feel like it – that’s when some pretty magic growth happens.
Really Get To Know Your Body. Greeting your body every day through an intimate practice such as yoga, you get to know when and where you are tight, or bloated, and can connect to the reasons why. Over time, you gain this wonderful awareness about your body and how your choices, from what you eat to how you sleep, affect yourself. This awareness is like getting a PhD in your own body!
Mindfulness Practice. When you keep pulling your attention back to your breath and your body, yoga becomes a moving meditation. This trains your attention (your mind) in the same way you train any other muscle. Thus, you become the master of your own attention and thoughts, rather than letting them be the master of you!
Life-Integration. A short home practice is integrated fully into your life – from setting aside some time (in the morning perhaps), to taking a break from your work to enjoy a few sun salutations, to travelling with you wherever you choose to go. You are liberated from having to drive to a studio to get your yoga too!
Feel Better More. Yes, you feel wonderful when you leave the yoga studio, but when you practice daily, you create that wonderful feeling more often. Now that you have the power to practice on your own, you can tailor your practice to your specific needs that day – to open your shoulders, or add more twists for enlivening your back – you can apply yoga throughout your day as needed.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying the wonderful offerings from your local studio, but often we don’t have the time to get there on a regular basis. Certainly most moms I know find it hard to take the 2 hours it takes (with travel time) to get to a class once a week, forget daily!
What do you think? I want to know! Please leave a comment below or on my facebook page.
Be well,
P.S. Each week I share personal insights only in email. Plus subscriber yoga practices, meditations, and more. Click here to be part of it!
P.P.S. This giveaway has just begun, so be sure to get in on it!
Win A Free Daily Practice Program!
What is it? The Daily Practice is a 28-day home study course developed by Hunter – an experienced yoga teacher and busy mom – to help others develop a practice of self-care to become healthier, stronger, and more grounded. It will begin January 20th!
How can you win?
- Go to: https://www.mindfulmamamentor.com/daily/ and sign up for the FREE 7-day challenge.
- Go on Twitter or Facebook and share it with your friends (copy and paste the following): “I am registered for a FREE 7-day Yoga challenge starting Jan 20! Join me at hunteryoga.com/daily!”
- Send me an email to let me know (or tag me in your post!). Good luck!