How I Finally Got Used to My New Yoga Routine
Ever since I started my attempt to enjoy yoga for the Lifehacker Fitness Challenge , I’ve managed to squeeze in one daily yoga workout in all but one of the past nine days. And I have to say that it looks like an achievement. As someone experiencing a moderate level of burnout associated with a pandemic , finding motivation to stick with something new, which actually takes me time to do so, seems like a feat.
So what if on some days I only choose a 12 minute video? The point is, I made a conscious effort to find time for something that I am not inclined to, and actually accomplished it. And this simple action teaches me something.
After two weeks, I noticed more attentiveness.
While setting up my laptop and choosing the Yoga with Adrienne video, I also subconsciously choose a set amount of time during which I am going to focus only on my breathing and movement. Whether it’s 17 minutes or more than 36, from the moment I select a video, I also tell myself that during this set amount of time, I won’t think about anything else. And although I did not strive for this in order to be more attentive and attentive, I found that I do it at least once a day.
Of course, I do notice that my mind wanders in time and sometimes anxiously think about the things that I need to do right after the yoga session, but the process of doing the pose itself is a constant reminder to return to the present. And to sound like a true yoga cliche, finding this mental space once a day seems like a real pleasure to me (which science agrees on ).
I found a routine that works
Due to poor planning, I found myself doing yoga any time of the day, which was actually handy for figuring out which routine was best for me. And while I feel like noon or evening is more enjoyable for me than my morning workout – the time when I am more alert and more energized to do something faster, like a run or a brisk walk.
There were days when I planned to do yoga in the middle of the day for 20 or 30 minutes (the time when I often bump into the wall and can refresh my physical form a little), and then inevitably work tasks take priority and my yoga classes are turned into a ritual before bed. And while yoga before bed is more like exercise than a way to relax for the whole day, I don’t mind, because there is nothing more relaxing than a good shavasana on a hard floor.