Four Unconventional Ways to Improve Your Yoga Practice
One of the most appealing aspects of yoga is that it provides substantial opportunities to exercise your mind, body, and soul. However, it is easy and perfectly normal to get overwhelmed with all there is to explore. You might also feel intimidated and, after months or years of practice, disillusion. Many yogis find themselves stuck in the proverbial rut, unable to move forward and reap the benefits of their mind-body connection. If this sounds like you, please, take a moment to step away from the mat and read through the following four mindset changes that can elevate you to your next level.
1. LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Your comfort zone is your safe place, meaning it's naturally difficult to step out. However, if you're never leaving your comfort zone, you're never giving yourself the chance to succeed. Remaining safely inside your comfort zone means that you're hiding behind fear. In turn, you're allowing your fear to control what you can achieve. It’s important to challenge yourself once in a while.
Stepping out of your comfort zone should begin with baby steps rather than large leaps.
If, for example, you're uncomfortable trying new yoga exercises in front of other people, you might begin by trying them out with a friend or using your home media streaming device, which will allow you to attend a yoga class from anywhere on your own time. Some models even allow you to utilize your phone as a remote, so you can rest assured that your practice won’t be affected by travel.
2. SET SOME GOALS
It is ideal to have both yoga intentions and goals in place to boost your yoga practice. While your intentions provide you something internal and intangible to work on, goals provide you with something you can measure. When your goals are reached and you can see how you've improved, you can boost your self-confidence and remain motivated by challenging yourself to reach a new goal. To make things even easier on yourself, utilize an app on your phone to set and manage your goals.
More than intelligent goal setting, you create SMART goals to set realistic expectations that you can reach. They give you something to look forward to and work toward in the near or far future. There are five elements to a SMART goal:
They are Specific. To set a smart goal, you must evaluate exactly what you're trying to achieve.
They can be Measured by some form of tangible data, such as numbers or graphs.
They are Achievable. In other words, you must have realistic expectations of what you can achieve.
They are Relevant to the task you are trying to accomplish.
They are Time-sensitive. A goal is only an idea until you give yourself a timeline to follow.
3. REMEMBER THAT FAILURE IS OKAY
The sting of failure may cut deep if you're not prepared to fail. But the fear of failure cuts deeper.
Failure isn't something to fear. In fact, it is a critical life occurrence.
Erin Motz, who describes herself as "The Bad Yogi" says she "wears her failure as a badge of honor" and describes it as "forced growth". In other words, there's no reason to be ashamed of failure, because it's just another step toward success.
4. STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS
There's watching and learning from someone with a higher level of skill, and there's self-comparison. The first is healthy and acceptable and even encouraged. The latter is an unhealthy and self-destructive habit with outcomes that are rarely positive. Self-comparison can initiate feelings of superiority, or (more commonly) self-doubt, failure, embarrassment, and other negative emotions.
During yoga class, when you're surrounded by others performing the same exercises, it can be difficult not to compare yourself to those around you. This unproductive, unhealthy mindset creates a negative yoga experience. Additionally, it's difficult to concentrate on practicing yoga when you can't stop comparing yourself to those around you.
It doesn't have to be difficult to take your yoga practice to the next level.
By taking steps to further your goals while keeping them realistic, you can ensure that your workout meets your needs and helps you stay motivated so you can make the most of it. Practice accepting that failure is okay & avoiding self-comparisons. Finally, don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone and know that you don't always need to be in the studio to attend a yoga session.
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(She/Her)
The gal behind Held In The Heart. The Community Journal is a space for those who feel deeply to express freely. We explore all sorts of things here, from the real & raw healing stories & creative writing, to the funny & fleeting moments of everyday human life. I warmly welcome you and invite you to explore with us!