“In the beginning you have to make room for yoga in your daily life and give it the place it deserves. But after some time yoga itself will pull you up by the hair and make you do it.” – Vanda Scaravelli
The most important aspect of supporting a steady yoga practice is creating a daily habit at home. This is a difficult task when you lack motivation or don’t know where to begin.
After July’s Yoga Practice Challenge, I have fallen back into the meditation habit and it has done wonders! Once I complete my 6 minutes or so of daily breath work and meditation, I find that I have more energy and motivation to move onto whatever the day has in store. In addition, I have tried to incorporate one healthy observance into each week to enhance this vitality. If you haven’t been following along, check out the posts from last month to see what you have missed. To make things easy, I’ve provided audio recordings for you to follow along.
Since this monthly map for a daily meditation/pranyama practice was so successful for me, I plan to keep going. Each week this coming month, I will be introducing a new meditation or breathing technique. Our Monday Meditation series starts tomorrow!
Furthermore, and to expand the commitment, I will soon be introducing Friday Focus – my weekly objective for adding interest and freshness back into my own personal posture practice.
As a yoga teacher, I try to practice the postures daily but it doesn’t always work out that way. And why? Because I seldom have a set plan. Sometimes I will work with an audio recording, sometimes I will rehearse what I am teaching for the week, and sometimes I just resort to a standard sun salutation routine. What I truly need is creative, fresh motivation to get, joyfully, on my mat. If this is something you’ve been craving – join me. And, if you don’t have a personal yoga practice, that’s even better – this could be your start.
Another week and the habit of a daily yoga practice is setting in – with pleasure! I am enjoying getting reacquainted with myself through meditation and pranayama. Doing it first thing each morning truly sets the tone. And, if I don’t do my asana practice until later, it still provides the commitment I need to keep on track. My attitude is brighter and I have more incentive to make it a great day.
This week, I’m bringing back the Chandra Dhauti Shat Kriya or Tongue Cleansing. Shat Kriyas are important purification techniques that keep the subtle energy levels flowing. When implemented, the absorption of oxygen is increased so that a deeper awareness can be generated. The tongue cleansing is a simple and productive first step towards subtle body purification. If you would like to discover more about this process, click here.
Ultimately, purifying the body is dependent on the amount and type of food you consume. In general, I try to eat moderately. A little of everything is my motto.
When shopping, I look for foods without pesticides, herbicides, hormones, additives, or preservatives and select locally grown or organic produce whenever possible. Personally, I find that when I limit the amount of alcohol, sugar and caffeine in my diet, I have a clearer perspective and a more satisfying yoga practice.
Week #3 of the meditation/pranayama practice is a continuation of last week with the addition of a new technique. Here’s the plan:
Close your eyes, focus on something meaningful & be still.
When your mental focus shifts to other streams of thought, chant silently: Neti, Neti, Neti (or “I am not that thought”).
Maintain the technique for 2 minutes.
Tip:Practicing Neti, Neti, Neti over time will lead you to a more meditative state – if you stay diligent. Keep bringing yourself back to the object of your meditation and, eventually, the mind will find that it is easier to stay focused than it is to continually migrate back to thinking other thoughts.
After July’s Yoga Practice Challenge, I have fallen back into the meditation habit and it has done wonders! Once I complete my 6 minutes or so of daily breath work and meditation, I find that I have more energy and motivation to move onto whatever the day has in store. In addition, I have tried to incorporate one healthy observance into each week to enhance this vitality. If you haven’t been following along, check out the 
