Whenever I read an article on time management (a topic that always grabs my attention), it seems that one of the top activities people wish they had more time for is exercise. Naturally we have time to brush our teeth, shower, and eat our meals, but doing that little bit extra for ourselves seems too decadent when others need us or too tough when we feel mentally exhausted.
Here at Focus we have a handy dandy computer system that let’s us track visits, and recently we ran a report on which Focus students have developed the most consistent practice since mid-winter. Those students have managed to work past the “too decadent” or “too tough” issues to make their yoga practice a regular part of their routine. I spoke with a few of them to see what actions or thoughts they implement to make that happen.
Just say no...to the couch. A couple of students who come to class in the evenings mentioned the allure of the couch at night. Rick Graham said, “I’m really a morning person, but most classes I take are at night. I just tell myself ‘I’m tired now, but I know I’ll feel rejuvenated after class’.”
Wendy Kopala shares, “I do frequently have those moments where it's half an hour before class is supposed to start and I'm feeling lazy and just want to lay on the couch and watch tv all night, but I motivate myself to get up and go by remembering how GOOD I'll feel after class. That I'll have a better night's sleep and that I'm doing something positive for my body and mind. This is what gets me off the couch and moving.”
Pay attention to the results. Yoga has made enough of a change in these student's lives that the results provide the motivation. A couple mentioned job stress and how yoga provides a healthy balance. Mary Parra notes that her practice keeps her calm, focused and non-reactive. Another student makes time even though she works 10 hour days and weekends because “exercise helps me a lot with the stress of everything. Even though I may be BUSY, and sometimes pretty darn tired, it just helps to work out the pressure.”
And Wendy notes, “I also find motivation in the progress I make. I'm proud of my strength and I don't want to lose that progress by not continuing my routine.”
Don’t make it a choice. Sometimes we feel we are mired in decisions. Making the practice non-negotiable makes it easier for students, and ultimately those around them, adapt other needs and activities around it. Jennifer Kehle says, “ I treat it like work. I get up and I just have to do it. It's not an option. In my mind, it's like going to work, buying groceries, doing laundry etc. It's part of my routine. It's never a question or option for me. It's part of my schedule. Plus, it feels good!”
Ty Krolicki was looking for structure in his life. He looked at the Focus schedule, picked two classes a week to go to and then says “for me the decision is already made. I don’t have to get up in the morning and decide.”
Making the decision once also helps Lindsey Burghgraef. “For me, it's easiest to pick a few classes per week and stick to always going to those specific classes. Instead of flying through my week, and just squeezing in a class on whatever day it happens to work, I go into my week knowing that Wednesday evening and Saturday morning are my yoga time. I arrange my schedule around that as much as possible.”
Writing it down makes it a reality. Wendy says, “I definitely write it on my calendar. That way I can keep track of when I've gone and it's also a reminder that I'm not free on those nights (unless it's something really important!).
Look at the big picture. Rick Giba shares something he read that motivates him. “I read a book, I think it was “Conversations with God”, that presented an interesting point: people spend their youth working to acquire money and then in their later years spend that money attempting to regain their health. I remember that. Yoga is a practice that treats you with respect, and I respect myself and that’s why I commit to this practice. I can do this my whole life.”
Rick Graham thought about his practice, and responded “We live in a frightened, nervous world. For years I tried to change the world from the outside in. Part of the yoga’s resonance is enabling me to change the world from the inside out. It helps me deal with stuff I can control, rather than being distraught over things I cannot control.
Extra tips. Sometimes we need a little extra motivation, and for that Ty (and other Focus yogis, I’m certain) read books and articles on yoga. Mary keeps a mat in her car, and treats her practice as a daily routine “like brushing my teeth”.
Lindsey is a Focus Yoga volunteer, earning free classes in exchange for helping around the studio. “I have to admit that being committed to sign-in duties (I call it "my little yoga job") probably gets me there more often than I would otherwise.”
I myself find that when I’m tired, giving myself permission to make my practice short and sweet gets me on the mat. Once I begin moving, the practice usually expands to something more.
Really, sometimes all we have to do is just show up.
I only mentioned a very few of our dedicated yogis above. Focus has a strong community of students who have found their way to making yoga a regular part of their lives. What are your tips? Please, share them in the comments below! Your thoughts may be just the motivation a struggling fellow student needs!
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