Yoga at Your Apartment
Yoga is an excellent way to stay fit as it doesn’t require much space or time. You can really perform yoga anywhere, inside or outside. The best part is there is a yoga form for however you’re feeling, whether you’re energetic and loose or tired and sore. All habits are hard to develop, but yoga will reveal multiple advantages for both mind and body once you get in the groove.
An Area for Yoga
In order to develop a habit, you need to set yourself up for success. You need to find a space in your apartment that can be easily converted into a yoga space. You don’t need a room with your yoga mat unrolled twenty-four seven, it can just be a room where you push your furniture against the wall and get to business. If you live in a smaller apartment, you just need to have enough space on either side of your yoga mat. As long as you have a couple feet around the sides of your yoga ma, you’ll be fine. The hardest part of developing a habit is prioritizing time for it. If you don’t have time throughout your day, consider practicing yoga when you first wake up or right when you get home from work. You can perform yoga before bed, but like most exercise, it might end up keeping you awake instead of helping you fall asleep. Set aside about thirty minutes for a typical yoga session.
Get the Tools for the Job
You could really practice yoga in jeans and t-shirt out on the sidewalk, however it might be uncomfortable. No one needs to go out and buy the name-brand yoga pants and mat, all you need are athletic clothes that allow you to move. As long as your yoga mat is comfortable, you’ll be able to practice just fine. Consider purchasing a mat with a sticky side to supply grip for the difficult postures, especially if you’re new to yoga.
Clear Your Mind
Yoga should be a time to reflect and relax more than a workout. Before you start your “workout,” you should be clearing your mind and focusing on breathing properly so you can get in the right state of mind. Once you experience the peace clearing your mind and breathing brings, you will appreciate your yoga sessions and naturally want to make time for it.
Reach Out for Help
No one is good at anything at first, and yoga is no different. If you need help, you only need to reach out to someone with more experience. While most yoga instructors are either two hundred or five hundred hour certified, you don’t even have to reach out to them personally, it could simply be a friend or acquaintance you know that has been doing it for a while. The main reason it’s important to practice with someone who knows what they’re doing is because improper yoga postures and stretches can be detrimental to your body. If you don’t have a friend to refer to, you can find many yoga routines online or even download an application.
Distractions Destroy
If you want to see the benefits of yoga, make sure you’re doing everything in your power to put in a solid effort. Anything that could draw your attention from clearing your mind and breathing is a distraction. Your TV, radio, phone, and even music with lyrics can distract your mind and destroy your goals. If you need to, practice with ear plugs in to block out any noise that might disrupt your attention on your breathing.
Take it Slow
Some people prefer to practice yoga on their own simply because they can do it however you want. Yoga classes are great, but normally you have an instructor guiding the entire class, performing the postures they decide at the speed they think works well for everything. When you practice yoga on your own, you can sit and breathe for as long as you want. If there is a specific posture you want to spend more time with, you can do that too. Never allow yourself to become discouraged if you think you are not advancing quick enough. Yoga is not about “being good.” It is only about putting in what you are hoping to get out.
