The Importance of a Daily Yoga Practice

Why practice yoga daily?

Daily yoga practice is a commitment to yourself and to your own growth. A daily practice is essential to help us stay physically fit, mentally balanced, spiritually connected, and emotionally strong. It is a simple, accessible, and affordable practice that can be done almost anywhere. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated, even if you only have 15 minutes per day, it will still benefit your body, mind and spirit.

The Yoga Sutras (1.14) teach us that to become firmly established in our practice, we must attend to it for a long time, without interruption, with an attitude of devotion and service, and a full heart. When we practice daily, we create a powerful foundation and clear attention to progress along the path towards enlightenment.

The challenge of daily practice

Yoga participants often come to yoga filled with enthusiasm. They invest in yoga mats and athletic wear; they sign up for classes and declare they now “do yoga.” As they immerse themselves in their practice, they begin to come face to face with their ego, their fears, frustrations and anger that they can’t touch their nose to knees. Bodies long conditioned to a state of numbness respond with pain as under-used muscles are summoned to the work they have long levelled on joints. Egos suffer as yogis look around the room comparing themselves to those who are more advanced than them.

Many stop coming to class and eventually quit. But it’s at that juncture where we meet our obstacles and excuses that the true challenge of our practice begins.

The benefits of doing yoga everyday

We will not transform our practice—nor, in turn, our practice transform our lives—if we do not practice regularly. The more we practice, the deeper we delve into our potential, our true selves.

What happens if you practice yoga every day? A daily practice empowers us with the spiritual confidence gained from progressing through the asanas and breaking through mental, physical, and emotional obstacles. A daily practice cultivates the attitude that through patience and compassion, not brute strength, we can accomplish just about anything on and off our mats. A daily yoga practice has many great benefits! It helps keep us grounded, centered, balanced, flexible, strong, calm, clear-headed, focused, relaxed, happy, healthy, and free from stress and anxiety. In other words, it keeps us sane!

How to start a daily yoga practice

Many people struggle with how to begin a daily practice. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the thought of trying to fit in a new activity into your life and daily routine. Here are eight tips to help you get started:

1. Set a time - I recommend setting aside time each day to do a short yoga routine. Examine your daily routine to find the most ideal time to take time for self care. Set up reminders on your phone to remind you to practice.

2. Start small - Committing to a short practice will make it much more likely to accomplish every day. It can be as simple as five minutes of sun salutations or a few beginner yoga poses, followed by some pranayama (breathing exercises), and ending with a few minutes of meditation. You don’t have to spend hours on your mat; just start small and build from there.

3. Choose an appropriate level - Make sure the yoga classes you commit to are of the correct length and intensity for your ability and dedication. If you bite off too much at once, you may find yourself feeling frustrated and discouraged. Also, consider whether you need more guidance than what they offer in class. Many teachers offer private lessons so they can work closely with their students to ensure they receive proper instruction.

4. Find a yoga teacher who inspires you - Find someone whose teaching style resonates with you, and whose classes are challenging enough to push you to new heights. Ask friends or family members about who their favorite yoga instructor is. If you don’t have access to a teacher, there are tons of great online yoga classes to practice with.

5. Do what feels right - Don’t worry so much about whether a yoga asana “looks” good. Just do whatever works for your body. Some days I’ll start my morning off with a few sun salutations before breakfast. Other times, I might just sit quietly and breathe deeply. Whatever makes sense to you is fine.

6. Take it off the mat - You can start a daily practice anywhere, anytime, by simply taking a moment to slow down and listen intently to what’s happening inside and around you. Remember that yoga isn’t always physical. In fact, many forms of yoga emphasize mental discipline and self-awareness. When you’re in traffic, take a few moments to breathe deeply and focus on your breath. If you’re walking to the grocery store, pause to notice the sensations in your feet, the air on your skin, the touch of the sidewalk beneath your feet. Look for any spare moments to pause, breathe deeply and bring awareness to your body. Find opportunities to move into a posture—like taking three deep breaths in Tree Pose while waiting for your morning coffee to brew.

7. Be patient - There may come a point when you find yourself struggling to stay consistent with your practice. This happens because you’re learning more than you expected. When this occurs, remember that patience is key. Keep reminding yourself why you decided to commit to regular yoga practice in the first place. Like anything else, the experience and benefits of yoga and meditation deepen with practice.

8. Keep at it - The most important thing to keep in mind is that consistency is essential if you want to see results. The best way to maintain consistency over time is to make it part of your lifestyle. Schedule a specific time during which you will meditate or perform a yoga pose. And if you miss one day, don’t beat yourself up! Simply pick back up where you left off next week. As long as you continue practicing regularly, you will improve over time.

Do you have a daily yoga practice? What challenges have you faced or overcome through this practice? What benefits have you experienced by practicing every day?

Share in the comments bellow!