If you’ve been following me on social media, I’m sure you’d know by now that I’ve just returned from a long trip traveling Latin America. What you might not know is that I also took a break from yoga whilst I was away. Staying in small hostel rooms, visiting remote towns and with no space for a mat in my backpack, my regular yoga practice was pretty much non-existent.
This doesn’t mean I totally disregarded everything I learnt about yoga. I still practiced it in other ways, but in terms of moving through downward facing dog and warrior poses, that wasn’t happening!
This means returning to a regular yoga practice required some slight adjustments to my daily routine now that I’m home and back to teaching weekly classes.
If you are returning to yoga after a break or hoping to finally get into a regular practice, these slight adjustments could help you too:
1. Start with gentle classes first
When I returned home I had a bit of soreness in my hips, a sore back from airplane seats and was also sick so my first yoga class back was a very slow flow class.
By starting with a gentle class like yin yoga, you can ease yourself in, particularly if you’ve had a break from yoga due to illness or surgery. A gentle class can can prevent injury or overwhelm which might deter you from returning. To keep your motivation up, start with the level your body is at and work your way up to different styles and levels.
2. Compliment yoga with other healthy routines
As soon as I got back into yoga I also got back into my healthy eating, my workouts and my self care rituals. It all goes hand in hand.
For you, it might help to do other physical activity that helps to get your body stronger like walking or workouts to strengthen your core. Or, maybe routines that help with your state of mind like reading inspiring books or doing mindfulness meditation on an app like Insight Timer. It is much easier to make yoga a part of your weekly habit when you are doing other practices that also compliment it.
2. Book in your classes!
I think this is the most important step. I know, once I’ve booked in a class and committed to that instructor’s time and also my time, I am going to that class no matter what. It really helps with accountability.
Even when you are on our yoga membership, you have to book in your class and this isn’t just so the instructor knows who is attending. It’s to help you schedule yoga into your week and to remind you that you’ve dedicated that time slot for your health, especially in winter when the motivation can start to fall!