Don’t let a yoga rut derail your practice! Here are a few tips for getting back in the groove…

Feeling a little bored, unmotivated, or just uninspired with your yoga practice? It happens to all of us! If you always attend the same classes, watch the same yoga DVDs, or only do one style of yoga, sometimes you can find yourself in a yoga rut. But don’t worry – there are plenty of ways to mix things up a bit and get that loving feeling back!  🙂

Yoga has far too many awesome benefits to let a little yoga rut derail your practice! Here are 4 great ways to shake things up and re-inspire you to get back on your mat:

1. Change where you practice

Much has been written about the psychology of sitting in the same place. In class I habitually sat in the bottom left hand corner of the room. When, one day, I was forced to move my mat because someone else was sitting there (how dare they!), suddenly I was much more aware of other people around me. Balances became wobbly, my gaze began to wander, my ‘brain chatter’ was louder…In other words, my internal focus had to work much harder to counteract the distraction of the ‘new’.

So, if space allows, move your mat to a different room, practice near a window, go outside. If you can’t move your mat just try facing in the opposite direction. The external view may just refresh the internal focus.

2. Try something new

Any long term relationship can have its ups and down. Our relationship with yoga is no exception. It can be easy to take our practice (and our bodies) for granted and for what we do on the mat to become habitual, rather than mindful.

If you find yourself returning to the same teachers and classes (if you practice online), or the same sequence and poses if you have a self-guided practice, try something new. If you always do online yoga, go to a studio or workshop and get inspired. Once a week, perhaps decide to try a class by a different teacher, or a new style… or even try a self-guided practice…What have you got to lose?

3. Change when you practice

If you’re a regular practitioner, you’ve probably got a particular time of day you prefer to get on the mat. If your schedule allows, why not try changing the time of day you practice – morning to evening, vice versa or a quick lunch break class? Stepping on your mat at different times of the day helps you become more aware of what kind of practice best suits you when, and how this can affect your physical and mental wellbeing.

4. Redefine what you think of as ‘yoga practice’

Acknowledge and be proud of the commitment and dedication it takes to get on your mat but know that a yoga ‘practice’ doesn’t have to be a ball-busting, 1.5 hour session. A few minutes of mindful movement, quiet meditation or just a moment or two of tuning into your breath may serve your body and mind much more than forcing yourself to go through the motions. To paraphrase Julie Martin, the practice really begins when you step off your mat.

Get more tips at EkhartYoga.com…