(Photo: Calin Van Parijs/Canva)
Whether you’re new to yoga or reviving an occasional practice, spending even a small portion of your day lying on your mat can be a major barrier to entry. Between work, social obligations, family, and all those chores, it’s easy to let yoga take a backseat to reality.
But to really practice yoga excerciseit is quite important to spend some time on your mat. But how does one find the time?
It doesn’t have to be complicated. According to experts, the best time to meditate, stretch, and pretty much anything else is whatever time suits you best. If you consistently struggle to fit yoga into your schedule, the following suggestions can make it feel more like time for you and less like a chore.
10 ways to find time for your yoga practice
Tying your yoga to a specific time of day, reframing your devotion, and bringing a buddy are just a few of these completely doable ways to build more yoga into your life. Because yoga as a philosophy extends far beyond the physical, spending time on the asana element can help you embody your yoga elsewhere.
1. Rise with the sun
Start simple: the sooner you get out of bed, the more hours you have in the day. So if yoga doesn’t fit into your current schedule, make more time. Not only that, but an early morning practice invites more presence into your day, setting a calmer tone for what’s to come.
2. Try a short exercise
You don’t have to spend an entire hour on the mat to benefit from yoga. A 5, 10, or 15-minute yoga practice is better than nothing at all – and may be just what you need.
3. Take a yoga break in the afternoon
Any time is a good time for yoga. That includes your lunch break! An afternoon workout is an excellent way to combat any kind of slump and an ideal option for people who already over-schedule their mornings and evenings.
4. Strike a pose whenever you can
In the same vein as a short practice, taking time for even one much-needed yoga pose can be enough to turn your day around. Balancing in Tree Pose while brushing your teeth, hitting Warrior 2 between meetings, or standing in Standing Forward Bend when you get out of bed acts as a bridge between a non-exercise life and a yoga-filled life.
5. Have an accountability partner
Call it pride or the power of teamwork, but it can be easier to show up if there is someone else besides you who cares about you showing up. Enlist a friend to sign up for classes, practice virtually at the same time, or just send each other a stream of reminder texts.
6. Do yoga in bed
Yes, bed yoga is a thing. Start or end each day with some lying down stretches and other effortless forms.
7. Reconsider your priorities
Time for a little tough love! You make time for the things you prioritize. Take stock of how you spend your hours each day and see what you’re spending more hours on than necessary. You’ll probably find room for some shuffling.
8. Practice when it suits you
If you’ve been trying to hone a regular practice but haven’t succeeded, it might be time for you to reevaluate what makes sense for You. Try practicing at different times and in alternative styles than what you have been trying. Maybe 6pm feels more like you than 6am. Or you need a slow flow instead of a restorative remedy. Feeling things out can provide the answers you need here.
9. Register for the class in advance
Taking a studio class in advance is one of the surest ways to ensure you find time for yoga. It doesn’t matter if the reason you reach your mat is to save yourself a $15 cancellation fee. All that matters is that you show up.
10. Release the pressure to plan
See, some people just aren’t good at following a schedule and instead thrive on spontaneity. So if that’s you, give yourself a break! Yoga shouldn’t feel like a chore. Practice when you are able to do so and you may find that it works want to to incorporate more yoga into your life.
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