Making Time for Your Yoga Practice

How do we make time for our yoga practice?

My Winter Home Yoga Space

It's different for each person.  Here are a few thoughts on the question:

1)  Join a class and put this time on your calendar as an "appointment with yourself" for your mental, physical and spiritual health.  If you can't go to a local class, do a free internet class with my favorite virtual teacher:  Melissa West.  She has over 400 free classes on her website and YouTube Channel.

2)  Set up an area in your home where you can either leave your mat out all the time, or rolled up nearby.  Take a look at your day-to-day schedule and find even just 15 to 30 minutes a day that you can dedicate this time as your "me" time.

3)  At work, periodically do some stretches both standing and sitting to loosen up the body.

4)  Standing in line at Walmart, or the grocery store, etc. practice balancing on one leg or the other.  Practice breath awareness.  Become aware of your posture and your core.

5)  While doing the dishes, laundry or other "chores", practice breath awareness and being fully in the present moment - completely aware of what you are doing.  Think about who will benefit from this activity - yourself, your significant other or children - and think about how this act of service is an act of love for those persons.

Just some thoughts.  How do you make time for your yoga practice?

Namaste,
Carrie

"Yoga takes you into the present moment - the only place that life exists."  Unknown Author

My Summertime Yoga Space

September is National Yoga Month

The month of September is National Yoga Month!  Yah!!!  If you've never tried yoga, maybe this is the month for you.

Yoga has become very popular in Northwest Arkansas, and I'm happy to be a part of this movement.  It has now been about a year since I first tried yoga, and was hooked immediately.  So much so, that I started taking classes towards my Yoga Alliance 200-Hr RYT designation.  After becoming "certified" in Yoga and Indoor Cycling through Fitour, I chose YogaFit as my training source for continued yoga study.  YogaFit allows me to spread my training out over time, which allows me to practice what I learn at each training, building proficiency, and not forcing my body to do things that, at age 53, may be more challenging than to a 20-something body.  Another benefit of taking longer to achieve the 200-Hr designation is I can spread out the cost of training.  Since starting with YogaFit in January 2013, I have now completed four of the eleven classes required for the 200-Hr RYT designation.

If you are looking to try yoga, the Bella Vista POA offers classes at Branchwood, Riordan Hall, and Metfield (beginning Sept 10!).  You can go to the Bella Vista POA website under "Recreation", then click on the clubhouse you are interested in to find classes and times.   There are also a number of studios and gyms in Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville where you can practice yoga.

One can always practice at home too!  The beauty of home practice is you choose the time.  There a tons of free yoga classes on the Internet and on YouTube in particular.  One of my favorites on YouTube is  Dr. Melissa West.  She has beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes and all kinds in between.  A neat iPhone app I found is Yogify.  This app has several free classes, and you can choose to buy more at a reasonable cost.

Bottom line, the key to maintaining a regular practice is finding a time, a location, a price, and a style that you enjoy.

Peace and Namaste'
Carrie