Making Daily Yoga Practice Less Daunting

We begin with the most lofty aspirations as yogis. "I'm going to do personal practice an hour twice a day", "I'm going to go to group practice four times a week", "I'm going to do a retreat each season..." For some of us, these gigantic goals become stumbling blocks that hinder our practice altogether. For those who aim high only to pull a no show before the game begins, here are a few suggestions as to how to follow through.

Start with a simple understanding and a simple plan. Sadhana literally means practice. In this context, practice is indicative of an on-going activity of spiritual nature. We engage in and commit to sadhanas. It can last a week, a month or a season. This allows us to build and grow because more than likely a sadhana is a set vinyasa that integrates change as you matriculate. So you do the same poses and activities, tweaking them as you develop more tolerance. Sadhana can still have initiative components where you follow the mind/body for a while, then fall back into your flow. Choose a focal series, like Surya Namaskar, and do it at the same time each day you choose to practice (preferably at the same time) for 7 to 90 days. Knowing what you are doing, when you will do it and why/how it will help you to develop will help you to create and keep up with your practice.

Preplan and prepare. Using a video is a great idea- even better a preplanned series or collection of titles that you assemble. Decide on a space and clean it up. Then get your clothes together and assemble your mat, blocks, strap, and water (in a no spill bottle). You can add a towel, props and other supplies like mala or puja tray. Be sure to look at your videos a few times before you practice to determine your needs. When you roll out of bed or get home, there is no excuse — your sacred space is ready to receive you. Just shower and start your videos.

Change your view of yoga sadhana as a form of traditional exercise to a full spiritual practice that extends beyond the mat. Yoga means yoke or unite. It is a state that we enter when we are so engaged that we become one with who we are, what we are doing all surrounding us. In yoga sadhana our prime goal is to connect polarities in our consciousness. This leads to a purified energetic body and an energised physical body. The goal of union practice is to realize non duality, a non-physical phenomenon. However the benefits can be very physical so we tend to practice to be fit. This is so because we have a limited perception of practice. Practice should always include meditation. Even if you don't do asana movements, you should sit in silence as this is the peak practice that all others prepare you for. Other activities can include breathwork, mantra, inner yoga, focus work and much more. By expanding the idea of yoga that we are taught to include non physical activities, we will have deeper experiences that will compel us to engage more. In addition, get a good night's sleep. Practice on an empty stomach, always just shower before practice, preferable in cold water and always warm up.

So, create a sadhana or a series of sadhana that are simple and matriculating. Get your space and supplies together beforehand. Be rested, empty, clean and warmed up. Then just keep studying and deepening your understanding of yoga by adding non physical practices to your routine to help yourself enjoy your practice and approach it regularly with less trepidation.