Feeling bored with your yoga practice? Dig a little deeper to find the value in “boring” yoga sequences you may have done many times before…

When you practice yoga regularly, sometimes there is a tendency to look for “the next new thing”- new and “exciting” classes, new and trendy yoga techniques and styles (acro-yoga, anyone?). But there is something satisfying about digging deep into one specific yoga style, routine, or class – and committing to diving into it with all your being. Doing the same yoga workout over and over again can sometimes seem repetitive, but it doesn’t have to be boring! In fact, you can get more out of your yoga practice by exploring one specific avenue of yoga for a long period of time.

Although the article mentioned below was geared to yoga teachers, I found the following paragraphs from RachelYoga.com to be insightful and inspiring for any yoga practitioner:

…an excess of novelty can get in the way of the bald ass starkness of simply being present. A wildly entertaining playlist and sequence can inadvertently create an environment of distraction rather than a space for mindfulness.

Some of my favorite class sequences have been utterly simple. For several years, I showed up on my mat and practiced the exact same sequence day after day (I was an Ashtangi). Was I bored? Never. Every practice was different. Some days I felt like an elephant; some days I felt like a swan. Because I practiced the same poses everyday, I could more clearly see how the variation in my daily experience was completely subjective.

A simple practice can be confrontational. In a world that is cluttered with tasks, chimes, alerts, and to-do lists, clearing the slate and breathing into the present moment can take surprising courage and vulnerability. Holding space for students to simply be with themselves – as they are, with no distractions – can be scary. We can’t hide behind the sequence or the music. It’s just them, and it’s just us. And here we all are. These spaces – free from errands, tasks, and distractions – is rare and nourishing. We feel the life beyond the clutter. The “I” beyond the Iphone.

The next time you find yourself feeling “bored” with a particular yoga class or sequence, dare to challenge yourself to dig a little deeper and go a little further within the confines of the same routine. Knowing “all the moves” in advance can actually free you to focus inward, practice your breath techniques, move deeper into poses that challenge you, or improve your form.

Of course, if you are really dying to try “goat yoga”, go for it – but don’t let the novelty of yoga fads distract you from the satisfaction that can come from going really deep into the “same old” class or sequence you have done a hundred times before. You may be surprised how much you can actually get out of a “boring” yoga routine when you commit to it…