Yoga for when you don't feel like doing Yoga!

The title of this week’s blog post may be a little misleading. Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean that we will be spending all week lying in savasana, or practicing an hour of yoga nidra in each session - just to clear that up ;-) Instead, we are focusing on how we can move through our yoga practice during those periods when we really feel like we don’t want to. 
 
To quote R. Kelly, quite often “my mind’s telling me no, but my body is telling me yes”!
 
It is perfectly normal to have those days, weeks, maybe even months whereby we struggle with getting back into (or starting) the things that we know will actually make us feel better - the things that our bodies are crying out for. Our minds often (over)rule our bodies, and our flow just gets completely thrown off and those healthy habits we’ve tried to pick up start to fall by the wayside! 
 
I certainly feel like this more often than I care to admit! Some weeks, my yoga practice is very slow, consisting of only a few poses/stretches, or simply breath-work and meditation! Particularly at this time of year as the pace of life starts to slow down again, and the colder weather and shorter days are drawing in - I just have a little less energy. 
 
When we are feeling like this but also trying to stick to our habits, it is important to set ourselves realistic goals so as to not feel overwhelmed. With regards our yoga practice, this might mean that we do less, but with more feeling. Sometimes just practicing one pose (with attention and awareness) can do more for us than pushing ourselves through a longer practice with a distracted mind. With the pressure off, we can enjoy it more and might actually want to practice for longer. This makes it feel less like a chore, and something that has evolved naturally.
 
Another motivational tool for when we’re feeling off our game is to seek out some inspiration.  Watching an instructional video or reading an article or blog can prompt us to try it for ourselves.
 
If you are really finding yourself struggling with sticking to a regular yoga practice then it might be worth trying a different style of yoga, or dare I say it, a different teacher!! Perhaps you haven’t quite found what works best for you yet. Or sign up for a block of classes or to an online Yoga platform - once the commitment is made you just need to turn up without having the "should I, shouldn’t I?" debate with yourself each week.
 
Starting is the hardest part. Once you’re back in to the swing of things continuity will get easier.
 
And if all else fails, practice savasana or yoga nidra!!

Namaste
​xxx     

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