How I did it: I made a New Year's Resolution for 2009 to practice yoga daily for at least 15 minutes. Every day, I unrolled my mat and practised - even if I just did 15 minutes of sun salutations or restorative yoga.

As my practice became more routine, I found that my 'short practices ' were often at least 30 minutes and most of the time, I was practising yoga for at least one hour.

Practising every day strengthened my practice, but it also made it possible for me to explore different yoga styles and teachers.

Lessons & tips:

• Set a 'mandatory minimum' for your yoga practice. What's the least you want to do? This can be a time limit ("at least 15 minutes") or a sequence of poses (for example: "I will at least do 3 sun salutations")

• Keep an open mind about styles of yoga and the intensity of the practice you do. You may find that daily practice inspires you to branch out and explore other yoga systems. If you're ill or feeling low-energy, you can always fall back on a less physically intense yoga style like Yin or restorative.

• Plan ahead: If you know that your day will be very busy, try to do your yoga practice as soon as you get up. In general, it's easier to practice yoga early in the day so you're not tempted to skip.

• Make space in your life for yoga: Make a physical space in your home for yoga, even if it's just a corner of a room. Explain your goal to loved ones and ask that they respect your 'yoga time'

Resources:

• Classes: If you can afford to, get a membership at a  yoga studio or Astanga Shala. It's much easier to keep a daily routine if you feel accountable to a teacher.
• Practice with a friend: Likewise, if you practice with a friend, you can encourage one another and stick to a schedule
• Pre-set sequences: Astanga Yoga and Bikrams yoga both offer pre-set sequences that you can follow. It's easier to practice at home if you don't have to 'make it up' as you go along
• DVDs: Following a DVD is a great way to practice at home and still have that 'in-class' feeling.
• Audio classes: Websites like Yogadownload.com offer audio classes that you can load on your MP3 player. This is a great option for travelling with your  yoga practice.
• Video classes: Like DVDs, these classes offer a clear format with visuals to guide your practice. Websites like Yogatoday.com offer free classes every week.

Dec 31, 2009, 01:45PM PST | 0 comments | 4 cheers