{"id":61,"date":"2021-08-25T15:07:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-25T14:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christelwellness-com.stackstaging.com\/?p=61"},"modified":"2023-11-23T07:28:57","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T07:28:57","slug":"how-to-refresh-your-yoga-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christelwellness.com\/en_gb\/2021\/08\/25\/how-to-refresh-your-yoga-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"How to refresh your yoga practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most of us are creatures of habit, and that\u2019s neither good nor bad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Healthy habits provide a strong foundation for our daily lives. Unhealthy habits can derail even our best intentions. But sometimes, even healthy habits can cause us to get stuck, or to reinforce patterns that no longer serve us. For example, practicing yoga regularly is a healthy habit. But our bodies and minds change\u2014poses that were healthy for us a year ago may not be today. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to refresh your yoga practice from time to time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s an example: I was born with hypermobile joints. Therefore, when I started practicing yoga asana, I gravitated toward poses that took advantage of my natural flexibility. I didn\u2019t enjoy the poses that required strength. They were way too much work, while the bendy poses were easy. Plus, they made me feel like I was an accomplished practitioner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoga asana, at its best, promotes balance. But decades of focusing on flexibility left me imbalanced\u2014hypermobile to an unhealthy degree and lacking strength. The solution? I began to practice more strengthening poses and back off my flexibility. Now I purposely don\u2019t take poses to my end range of motion. I also do strength training. As a result, my body feels more stable and balanced. I even have more energy. Plus, my practice is a whole lot more challenging. It\u2019s also a whole lot more mentally engaging as I challenge myself in new ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Refresh Your Yoga Practice?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may be in the opposite category\u2014an abundance of strength and little flexibility. So maybe you tend to enjoy strengthening poses and dread flexibility poses. It\u2019s helpful to remember that yoga asana was never meant to be a performance. Those poses that challenge us most are usually the ones that will help bring us to balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Yoga Sutra 2.46, \u201cthe physical posture should be steady and comfortable.\u201d Other translations phrases \u201cfirm and soft,\u201d or \u201csteady and easy.\u201d These imply balance. So ideally, our practice should lead us in the direction of finding balance for our individual bodies and minds. And that\u2019s constantly changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when you decide to refresh your yoga practice, what you\u2019re doing is asking the question: \u201cWhat kind of practice will lead me to a state of equilibrium in my body\/mind as they are today?\u201d This not only respects the truth of where you are in a given moment, but it also may help you step out of a rut and into new and interesting territory. Boredom isn\u2019t the result of the lack of activity; it comes from lack of attention. An old, familiar practice doesn\u2019t require your attention. A different approach requires that you be mindful. And mindfulness can bring even your staple poses, the ones you\u2019ve practiced thousands of times, to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 Ways to Change Up Your Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some ways to refresh your yoga practice: <\/p>\n\n\n\n