Hey darling ones,
One of the questions I’ve been asked about a lot recently is how to build a yoga practice when you lead a very sedentary lifestyle + lack confidence.
I’ve broken this down into 5 easy to follow areas.
START SMALL
One of the biggest mistakes we make when we want to change a habit is to start to big. We set ourselves up to fail + then feel overwhelmed with it.
Starting small means you can make gentle, incremental steps in the right direction which is my philosophy for life.
So you could choose to do one yoga posture a day for a month. Just one. Perhaps just for 3 minutes. No pressure, just show up to do that. If you miss a day, get back on the wagon. Keep it simple. In the bliss-seekers group (sign up to the mailing list to join) we have a yoga pose challenge every month which is always short + sweet but helps you to get started with kundalini yoga. You can join it at any point during the month.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Human beings tend to perform better when they are held accountable. That’s why we have the concept of deadlines. It’s also why some people thrive in a competitive environment with league tables. You don’t have to be competitive about this if it doesn’t suit you – but giving yourself accountability is one of the best things you can do.
You can do this by finding somebody else to do it with you. So perhaps you have a friend who might like to join you on a beginner’s yoga class or who would also sign up to an online subscription for yoga with you. If you don’t know anybody in person who might do this with you then you could look online. My bliss-seekers group is a fantastic community of likeminded people who are looking to create gentle but radical change in their lives. Why not ask for an accountability partner in there + you could check in with each other every week?
DO IT FOR A GOOD CAUSE
Sometimes people say to me they don’t have the willpower or self-motivation to do it. What that really means to me is there is not yet enough self-care + love in your heart to do it for yourself because you deserve it. That’s OK because we can work on that, especially if you join the Blissful Life Yoga + bliss-seekers group. But that means to start with you need another reason to do it.
Choose a charity or a cause that you will raise money for. Create a donation page + share it with all your friends + family + any groups you are in. Ask them to hold you accountable for this fundraising, saying you lead a sedentary life style so this is a big challenge for you. Tell the charity. Say you’ll upload a picture / video every day to show how you’re progressing. Do it for a cause that means something to you + keep showing up to encourage others to donate.
REWARD
Plan a reward after a certain period of time. For example, if you decide to join in the monthly kundalini yoga pose challenge in my group you could reward yourself on the last day of the month. Try to avoid rewards related to food or overindulgence. Perhaps treat yourself to something small you have wanted to buy for a while, or plan the perfect relaxation day + make sure you enjoy it.
WHEN YOU FEEL DOWN / STUCK / ICKY
One of the biggest mistakes we tend to make is not having a plan for when things go wrong. It’s in our nature to assume the best, which can be very helpful but it can also be an expectation rollercoaster. Make a list of things you can do when you feel down / stuck / icky. Go through that list before you reach out to an old habit like eating too much or sitting down all evening to watch Netflix. If you reach the bottom of the list + you still want to do it, then go for it. But try + get yourself out of the funk first with a pre-planned list.
I have a brand new FREE magical scroll of things to do when you feel icky, it’s got some tried + tested ideas on it plus space for you to add your own. Grab your free copy here and roll it up with a lovely bow on it to carry with you or leave in a safe place. When you feel down / stuck / icky, unroll the scroll + do the activities listed on it before you do something that doesn’t serve you. If you’ve done them all and still want to eat an entire tub of ice cream, go for it!
I’d love to hear whether this post has helped you with creating a yoga practice, so don’t forget to sign up to the mailing list to gain access to the community so we can chat!
