http://www.care2.com/greenliving/making-time-for-yoga.html
Making Time for Yoga
By Deborah Willoughby, Yoga+
Meditation, breathing practices, relaxation exercises, postures, reading spiritual texts—these are a few yogic techniques that can enrich our lives as well as our practice. But if you are like most of us, you are already trying to squeeze too many activities into your day. So how do you find a way to cram yogic techniques in too?
You don’t. If you try, yoga will become just another source of stress, and you’ll turn your back on it. The trick is to make space for a few practices at a time, and when you do, you will find that the practices themselves will create the time and space you need for them.
Take hatha yoga, for example. A regular, mindful practice of the postures and the breathing practices reduces the need for sleep. So do many of the other changes in lifestyle that come about gradually as our commitment to yoga grows. As whole, fresh foods replace processed foods and our diet becomes light and nourishing, as we cultivate the habit of breathing deeply and diaphragmatically, as we become skilled at reducing the stress in our lives, we find ourselves waking up earlier in the morning and—wonder of wonders—waking up feeling refreshed instead of exhausted.
Early mornings were made for spiritual practice. The phone is silent, the kids aren’t tugging at you, nobody is going to knock on the door, and best of all, your mind is quiet and your nervous system calm. Concentration and meditation come more easily at this hour. So does contemplation. And this is the perfect time to experiment with longer relaxation exercises and maybe even try some of the more time-consuming breathing practices.
So don’t set yourself up for failure by trying to squeeze a bunch of new practices into your life. Start slowly and you will find that as you make time for yoga, yoga will make time for you.
Deborah Willoughby is the founding editor of Yoga+ Joyful Living and president emeritus of the Himalayan Institute
Yoga+ is an award-winning, independent magazine that contemplates the deeper dimensions of spiritual life--exploring the power of yoga practice and philosophy to not only transform our bodies and minds, but inspire meaningful engagement in our society, environment, and the global community.
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6 comments
add your comment »wii fit yoga is a good way to relax
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I was given by a good friend Yoga in Chairs by Liz Franklin's set of 3 DVD'S. I have MS I can do the first version I do believe it makes me feel better. The 2nd and 3rd version I am just not able to do. They are more advanced. It's good for everyone to keep moving no matter what you have physically.
Just do what you can.
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Hard physical labor intensive raising of four children on my own and leaving the ME out of life in order to make sure they had the necessary things of life to grow into responsible citizens of Mother Earth and Humanity left me out in the cold. My four children, sons all are concerned about the Earth and how best to help her survive along with us. So, I began Yoga and massage therapy. Although it is later than I had hoped, it is time. I sleep better and feel better. My worn joints are worn and sometimes very sore and I use Yoga to aide in releasing negative energies from the injured parts. I wish I had had the insight I have today and started Yoga long ago but that is a different story. I did use breathing which helped and time out after work for the rejuvenation of mind, body and spirit and that made a big difference for me.
I am grateful there is Yoga here in our small village. I am grateful I can go and make my life and others lives better because I am better for it.
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The second step in creating the space in which you will engage in your practice. Even if you don't have the space, you can have a special throw that you place on your shoulders or the edge of your bed in the morning. Sit on it, close your eyes and take slow deep breaths. That's a start. You will associate your practice and good feeling with your throw and want to continue. From there, the space and accouterments will grow with your practice. Maybe a spiritual or esthetic photo, a flower or statue in the area where you practice, maybe a special throw pillow. Of course, find a Yoga teacher to help you along. Books and CD's are Great, but there's nothing like a teacher to interact with on a weekly basis to help you and your practice grow and serve your best interest.
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Art of Living offers Wonderful courses incorporating yoga, meditation, unique breathing exercises, and knowledge to decrease stress and increase focus and balance in life. Artofliving.org. I took this course my very first time when i was 21 and gave such a balance in my life i felt unshakable... It really does bring you back to the core of your being.
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The first step in making time for yoga is setting an intention. Really figure out what your reason is for practicing yoga. This intention is what is going to keep you coming to your mat when you would rather be laid out on the couch eating Haagan Daz. Your intention is also going to keep you consistent.
r4 dsi
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