Here’s wishing a very happy and healthy Diwali and a wonderful year ahead to all our readers and fellow yogis!
What with the need to keep it all together on the professional and home front as well as having to carve out quality time to spend with the family, there are literally hundreds of demands on our time. There is so much to do and only a limited amount of time to do it in. Having a time crush is in fact one of the most common issues yoga practitioners face and narrate to me. Making time for and deriving the optimal benefits of yoga in the midst of all this may seem difficult, but it is possible. Let me offer some pointers about why and how to make time for yoga in your life in the days to come.
1. Remind yourself about the many benefits of yoga
You know by now that yoga is a mind-body system which offers complete wellness solutions. It not only makes you fitter and healthier physically, it could slow down deterioration of eyesight, helps reduce mental stress, improves concentration and may even improve the memory. Make a little chart of the benefits that mean the most to you and place this where you see it every day: your desk, above your bathroom mirror and so on.
2. Prioritise yoga
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra underlines the importance of continuously or resolutely practicing yoga. Perhaps you can apportion less time to other pursuits while apportioning a set amount of time each day for yoga. Make it the one thing you cannot and will not miss doing. Keep in mind the feeling of wellbeing that yoga brings about and it will become easier for you to prioritize your yoga class or your one hour of yoga practice.
3. Alter your sleep schedule
Regular sleep patterns, sufficient rest in a given day and very importantly, good quality, restful sleep is an important part of the yogic system. If you alter bed time by eating dinner early, watching less TV (or other recreation) you will be able to rise early in the morning and make time for yoga; ideally the best part of the day for it. However any time is a good time for yoga. Ensure that you fit it into your schedule; that is what is important. And don’t forget to practice the special poses for a good night’s rest!
4. Keep yourself motivated
Chart your progress; keep a diary of your feelings and the physical changes that yoga has brought about. Recall the sense of achievement when you could perform aasans that you could not earlier. If your stamina has increased or your weight has gone down since the regular practice of yoga, these are motivations in themselves.
5. Involve a friend or family member
The company you keep matters. Practicing yoga with a good friend or a family member will keep things more interesting for you and keep you engaged. You can encourage each other and help each other stay committed, make progress and achieve more. If you involve your child, you’re introducing her or him to a healthier lifestyle; practicing yoga with a good friend is just that much more fun!
6. A few other tips that will help
Make sure you’re practicing yoga wearing clothes that are practical and comfortable; in which you don’t feel self conscious. If required, splash out a bit on a few new things that will offer that extra bit of motivation (your Diwali treat this year perhaps?). Keep that yoga mat where you will see it first thing in the morning – like a morning reminder. Make sure you explain to your family that yoga is important to you and why so you have the support you need. So again, here’s wishing my dear readers a happy and safe Diwali!