Each morning I rise, the temptation to pick up my phone and check messages, the news, or the weather, gets in the way of rededicating myself to my yoga practice.

Checking in – really checking inward, involves detachment. Detachment from the distractions that separate me from what matters most – my connection to myself and my breath.

So, I leave my phone where it lays and go to my mat. I tell myself that for just 10 minutes I will honor what I need to begin my day. In my last post I spoke of seeing yoga as connection. Yet to create that attachment or connection, I need to detach or remove myself from prior habits or routines.

And what do I do when I get to my mat? I take a seated posture to connect with my breathing and then I allow the flow to carry me away. From cat/cow to balasana to downward dog and back down to the ground again. Since it is early and I am usually cold, I keep things low key but I don’t remain stagnant. I am shifting from little movements to larger movements until I am standing upward and ready to greet the day.

So I have only taken 10 minutes but it is the first 10 minutes of my day. It’s precious time for dedication, appreciation and attachment to my authentic self.

Best wishes on your progress!

As promised, I am now using this blog to supplement my new book, Yoga Posts: Building a Steady Yoga Practice One Day at a Time. This week’s post refers back to Chapter #4: Go With the Flow. If you wish to start at the beginning, please look to my first post.