Yoga dates back centuries, developed first as a spiritual practice. Modern westerners usually associate it with exercise, health, and vigor. But, it has all those benefits and more. Here are a few ways to deepen your practice and get the most out of it.
1. Commit to a Daily Routine
Above all, consistency is what builds a great practice. You don’t have to fold yourself into a pretzel for hours at a time, struggling to breathe. But, if you spend a few minutes, it’s way better than doing nothing at all.
For us, it’s always been easiest to practice at the same time each day. Since it doesn’t change, we’ve never had to worry about discipline much.
Once you’ve done it for several days in a row, the habit has laid a foundation in your nervous system. As long as it’s continually exercised, the strength of the connections won’t decrease. In fact, it gets even more accessible the longer you’re doing it.
2. Incorporate Some Silk Work
The most remarkable thing yoga has to offer is an insane amount of variability. At first, you may not have the flexibility required to enter poses with support blocks. But, after practicing for a bit, the ligaments loosen up, making new things possible.
If you’re beyond the beginner stages of your practice, consider moving on to silks. Silk yoga uses several silk tethers as anchor points, connected to the ceiling.
You can hold them while you’re doing different poses, similar to how you would with a rope. Since they offer unique leverage, new poses are possible, and some of them are amazing.
3. Stay at a Yoga Retreat
Have you heard about yoga teacher training in Costa Rica? Taking a week-long class in the US would be way too expensive for most people, considering the cost of living. But, their exchange rate is excellent at amplifying purchasing power. Anyone flying in from the west has to notice how much cheaper it feels while they’re visiting there, too.
So, even if a retreat wouldn’t be affordable back home, one might be in Costa Rica. Plus, their teachers seem to care for students, pushing them to success honestly. If you’ve never worked with anyone experienced, it’s a life-changing opportunity.
4. Hire a Virtual Trainer
Sure, going to Costa Rica would be great, no matter why you’re there. But, not everyone has a job with enough flexibility to allow such a trip. If that sounds like what you’re going through, then a virtual one might be best.
You may not have the added benefit of visiting somewhere new. But, virtual trainers can give the same advice one of them would have given in person. Seeing poses performed on camera isn’t always easy, but its value is undeniable. Once you’ve done it long enough, it won’t feel as hard anymore, either.
5. Start Using Hot Yoga
One of our favorite ways of spicing up routines is by playing around with the temperature. Has your studio ever done a hot yoga night, even if you’ve never been?
If it has, then we’d recommend setting aside the time for one the next chance you’re given. Something about posing in heat feels divine, like the uproar of an indwelling spirit.
6. Take a Course on Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra doesn’t look as impressive as some forms of yoga, but its benefits are unique. Since it focuses on calming the body, it enhances flow states. So, you can enter them more easily. Try out a few sessions to see if it has much of an effect on your daily experience.
7. Open a Yoga Studio
After spending years doing the craft, sometimes, the only way to progress is to begin teaching. As a teacher, you’ll learn more than you ever did as a student.
Deepening Your Yoga Practice
Yoga isn’t something you do just to tone up your body, even though that happens. It’s a way to refine the inner self, mind, body, and spirit. Few things have such an obvious impact on our self-perception, and what does usually costs a ton. So, take advantage of what yoga has to offer and start practicing often.
