I am often asked what can I do every day to get better at yoga? I like to remind the one asking (and myself!) that we don’t do yoga to get better at yoga. We yoga to get better at life!
But if I had to pick 3 things that you can do anywhere, anytime, everyday it would be these. 1 minute in Vrksasana: Tree pose each side, 1 minute of mindful breathing and 1 minute in Malasana, yogi squat pose. You’re scratching your head likely wondering HOW 1 minute could do anything?!
Well, here is the thing; to create good habits we first need to make them accessible. When we overcomplicate things and become too restrictive (like the latest fad diet) our ability and drive to stay committed to the habit gets hampered. Best to start small, keep it simple and build from there!
Intentionally practice these 3 things daily for two weeks and you will see change!
Tree Pose: Improves posture and balance, strengthening our vestibular system and proprioception, our internal GPS, so important as we age! Balancing supports foot health to strengthen common conditions such as plantar fasciitis It also humbles us to be accepting of how we show up on any given day and builds confidence in our body and our abilities!
Meditative Breath: Slow mindful breaths for one-minute returns you back to the body. With eyes closed focus on the sensations of the breath flowing in and out the nose and how that breath then moves within the body. Taking time to pause and breathe calms the nervous system and awareness identifies habitual tensions such as furrowing the brow, clenching the jaw or shoulders, allowing you an opportunity to release and soften.
Malasana squat: This is a love or hate pose, I get it! If you don’t use it, you lose it! Irrespective how low you go, or whether your feet are fully grounded, or heels lifted, this pose is helping you in so many ways. Malasana improves and maintains flexibility and mobility in our joints particularly the hips, groin and lower back. Our muscles such as the core, quads and hamstrings and importantly keeps our digestive system happy! Try with a rolled towel under the heels or hands resting on blocks or a chair.
3 (ok technically 4) minutes a day friends! You can do it, let me know how you go!
Smiles & Sun Salutations
Ai x