You know it’s a good idea, but sometimes it’s hard to fit yoga into your schedule every day. Here are a few tips for making yoga a daily practice…

Like any habit, making yoga into a daily practice takes some time and dedication. However, the benefits to your life can be huge over time – not only physically, but mentally as well.

While you will still get benefits from yoga even if you don’t do it every day, studies have found that a daily practice will have the most impact on your long-term health. However, this isn’t always easy. Committing to a daily yoga practice will take discipline, but if you can stick with it, you will be amazed at how much it will improve your life!

Having a regular program to follow can be helpful, and there are many online yoga memberships and courses to help keep you on track (see some suggestions to the left of this page).

Below are a few more tips for establishing and maintaining a daily yoga practice:

1. Prioritize your practice – see it as a necessary part of your day

One of the main barriers to practicing that I hear is “I don’t have enough time in the day”. And yes, it feels like life is busier than ever for many of us. Especially if you’re juggling caring for children or loved ones with work and projects. But taking care of your own body and mind has to be a necessity for you to be able to care for others – whether that’s through daily yoga and meditation or some other practice to get your body moving.

It helped me to hear Barack Obama say he starts each morning with a workout! If the (former) president of the United States could find the time, the rest of us should be able to, even if it’s just 20 to 30 minutes sometimes. It doesn’t always have to be a strenuous physical yoga class.

2. Try to practice at the same time every day

After many years of trying to be flexible and fitting in yoga around the rest of my day, I have learned that this approach does not work well for me. It’s too easy to keep putting it off until ”there is a better time” and end up not doing anything at all. When I practice at the same time every day I find it much much easier to keep the daily habit.

So what time is the best time to practice?

For me, it is first thing in the morning. I am most likely to practice then and keep up with it. After that, I can enjoy the benefits all day…

Everybody is different though, and if after work or evenings are better for you, that’s fine too. Find your time slot and try as much as you can to stick with it.

3. Make a plan

When you do not have a plan, your daily habits take over and it is very difficult to bring something “new” into your daily routine. So plan your time but also plan what you are going to do during that time. When you don’t, you might still get up early to practice but before you know it you’re checking your emails at 5am instead of doing yoga or meditation.

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Read more at EkhartYoga.com…