Decipher between what it feels like to be in your body versus being somewhere else mentally. I often hear practitioners saying things like, “this year I am going to nail Handstand.” These goals are fun to have, but consider refining another aspect of your practice. In my opinion, this is the BEST way to practice.
Remember that all of these yoga poses were just made up by someone! There’s nothing wrong with changing things up and finding your own way. If you are practicing in a studio, your teacher will be happy to see you being curious about your alignment. Minimal incremental shifts can make all the difference. Do you always step forward with your right foot? Lead with your left. Have you worn footprints in your mat from doing Warrior 1 & 2 the same way each time? Change it up. Do you always lower to 90 degrees in Low Push-up? Try staying higher.
How can you change them up? What postures do you do every time you practice? First re-visit the foundations and then consider how you can vary these postures slightly. My book, Embodied Posture: Your Unique Body and Yoga is the perfect resource for learning about common injuries and how all of your major joints articulate and work with movement.Įvaluate any repetitive movements in your practice. Of course, you should always visit a physiotherapist or physician as needed, but be an active participant in your own healing. How do the bones move? Which muscles are working for certain actions? Educate yourself so that you can make better choices about how you are moving in your practice. If you do have any aches and pains, become your own anatomist and study that area of the body. Have you been living with a nagging pain in your shoulder that you’ve learned to ignore? Do you have back pain that you keep pushing through? Practice some radical self-honesty and tough love with yourself here. Remember that your own experience will be your best, ultimate source of information.ĭo an overall evaluation of how you are feeling physically. There are so many great resources out there and you can always stay after a class to ask the teacher. Pick a couple of poses that you have questions about and investigate. Open yourself up to un-learning, and re-wiring new foundational habits.
Seek out a basics or foundations class and aim to practice with a beginner’s mind. It’s common for practitioners to develop bad habits without even knowing. No matter how long you’ve been practicing, it is always beneficial to rewind back to the basic pillars of practice. Here are 5 ways to Spring clean your yoga routine: Being open, curious, and investigative are the best ways to stay purposeful with what we are choosing to do. It’s always good to pause and take a closer look at anything we are doing on a regular basis. My yoga practice is not something that I typically consider spring cleaning, but as I was clearing out weeds and debris from my gardens yesterday, it occurred to me that even my yoga routine could benefit from some spring freshness. Spring is the perfect time to clear some space, get rid of what’s not needed, and invite in something new.
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