Daily Practice as a Form of Self Care

November 22, 2018

Have you ever considered the true value of a daily practice? As we all know, yoga does more than just building a stronger, more flexible body. It transforms the mind and helps align the spirit as well. However, there are attributes of yoga that go beyond that as well.

When we practice daily, the mind, body, and spirit all form a kind of memory or at least relationship that more easily identifies one with the other. For instance, we no longer have to remember what foot goes where or the action required by the hips in any given posture. Likewise, we’re more able tune out the chatter from the outside world to tune into what we energetically need and feel as we practice.

Even beyond that alignment, however, the simple act of making time for yourself, especially through yoga, can realign a lot of things in a person’s daily life. Once you carve out the time to give yourself the gift of health, a paradigm shift often happens.

At least for me, I start to realize what’s really important, slowing down those parts of my day and week that have meaning and speeding up what’s truly unimportant. In listening to myself and what I feel, I’m better able to hear what others around me need, and I’m better at finding patience for those people who are important to me.

However, assuming you see the potential and benefit for a daily practice, how in the world do you make it happen? If your schedule is truly flexible, you might, and we hope you can, find the time to join us in the studio. If your schedule doesn’t allow for that though, then what?

One option is to start a home practice. You have the mat, and after a few classes at Uptown Yoga, you should have the basic postures to fill your time. There’s also a ton of resources online that you can consider too.

Another option is to consider Uptown’s partner, Yogis On The Go, which brings yoga to you anywhere and at any time. Yogis On The Go will even come to your office to teach both you and other co-workers, and they will help you put the class together, possibly as a benefit offered by your company.

If you have an interest in Yogis On The Go, visit their site: www.yogisonthego.com or email me at [email protected].

The most important thing, though, is to find the time daily for your practice, whether it’s at home, in the studio or elsewhere. For all of the reasons shown above, it’s unbelievable how your life and viewpoint shifts when you make time for yourself and do so daily.