Have you been thinking about trying yoga recently? Something deeper, a way to help you evolve and grow in life?
Do you feel that you want something more than just physical exercise? Here’s your guide to yoga in times when your life is evolving and some tips on how to finally make yoga part of your daily routine.
Yoga is becoming a household activity these days, but how do you know what yoga style is right for you? If you already practice yoga it may be time to explore a different perspective of yoga, and if you’re new to yoga it may open up a whole new world to healing.
Wherever you are on your journey it may your time now to create a new daily routine? And why not include yoga?
As we go through life we have different needs. Are you a Type A, driven, go-getter you may love to fast-paced activities, or are you a homebody who may enjoy slower activities? What you needed 2 years ago may not be right for you now.
But to always live in the fast lane is going to take a toll not only on your mind, but also on your body. And similarly a slow moving life may not be supporting your body strength as a faster practice could.
The point here is that we all do what we prefer. We do what we’re comfortable with and love. But doing what we are comfortable with doesn’t always serve us optimally.
It’s so easy to go with our old preferences, and not tune into what we NEED!
In my opinion, we all need balance in life. Consider how a person who lives life on-the-go may benefit from a calmer, more reflective practice, and a less active person may need a more active practice.
The need for balance is greater than what our mind acknowledge.
This is where yoga comes into play. Yoga has this capacity to help us discover what we need. Not only from a physical perspective, but also from a holistic perspective.
With yoga practice you can get closer to discover what you truly need. Join waitlist for membership here.
I personally thought for many years that living in the fast lane was it for me. Driven and focused I fueled my day with more fast-paced, thinking-ahead, plan for the future activities, because that’s what I knew. That’s what I was expected to take on, appreciate and align with.
Not surprisingly, the sports I did back then were fast-paced and very physical. I did horse show-jumping and played racket sports like tennis and squash. One of my favorite workouts was body-pump with weights (is body-pump even a thing these days?!). The faster the better.
When I discovered yoga at a time of personal change. I started out with hot power yoga, which is very physical. But soon I realized it was the very last part of the class (savasana) that made all the difference for me. Walking out after each yoga class I felt totally different.
My mind was calm. My body was calm. I was calm. Very rare.
I wanted to come back to yoga again and again, and soon I had incorporated yoga in my daily routine.
Through the discovery of yoga my perception of physical activity totally changed. I began to appreciate slower forms of yoga and I started to play golf (never thought I’d enjoy golf because it’s SO slow).
It’s pretty amazing that once I balanced my fast-paced work day with slow yoga in the evening, I felt like a new person every day.
Now, what has all this to do with a guide to yoga and daily routines and how this all can benefit you?
Yoga has to do with your balance in life, how you can increase self-support in your life through yoga and incorporate bits of it every day in your morning routine.
Importantly, to slow down and listen to what you need, and don’t go with what you’re used to do or what you think other’s would approve of.
I’m here to challenge you to allow yourself to be the guide for what’s right for you and perhaps explore something new.
You may have never tried yoga, or you are a practicing yogi since many years. My hope is that you take a way some new way you can apply yoga to your day and continue with it as part of your daily self care routine.
First, how do you find out what type of yoga you need at this time in your life and where do you start? Your guide to yoga is coming up next!
Next, I’ll give you some personal reflections on 4 forms of yoga that I’d recommend you to consider for different reasons.
(Please note: this is not intended to be a comprehensive all encompassing overview of all yoga options available to you.)
You’ll know what the starting point that is right for you once you listen to what you need.
1. Desk yoga – Yoga at your desk using your office chair to stay energized at work.
As a busy working woman you may feel that you simply don’t have time to get to a studio or an hour long class, which turns into two hours or more if you count getting there and back etc.
Yoga can be practiced right at your desk the office. You can dedicate 10 minutes to a sequence of yoga poses that would give you the break you need and get your body tension released.
Try it! I have previously recorded a short video with a few of the poses that you can try. When you practice desk yoga you don’t have to change outfit, you don’t have to get anywhere else than your chair to practice.
You just have to arrive in the moment with yourself and with your breath.
Furthermore, desk yoga is a great way to start tapping into a yoga practice. This simple yoga practice will get you familiar with how yoga through simple movement and breath.
You can begin to move your energy in a different way to stay energized all day at work.
2. Vinyasa yoga – gain body awareness and increase strength and flexibility.
I suggest vinyasa yoga as a good starting point. There are various levels of vinyasa yoga, but a common way to practice is like a flow of poses, a sequence of standing poses and floor based poses.
Through vinyasa yoga you gain body awareness and learn how your breath and body move together. It’s a great way to increase strength and flexibility and you get an all around body-mind-breath experience.
This is the yoga style that I first learned, practiced and soon became a teacher in. I love that vinyasa yoga is so versatile both when it comes to pace, you can practice everything from a slow vinyasa flow to a vigorous power yoga vinyasa sequence.
However, one of the most powerful parts is savasana which is the corpse pose at the end. The transformational feeling of calm coming out of savasana is what made me come back over and over again when I first started to practice yoga.
3. Yin-yoga to release energy blocks in the body and strengthen supportive tissues.
Yin-yoga is a floor based yoga form where poses are held for 3-5 minutes to go deep into the connective tissues, release bottled up energy and strengthen joints and ligaments. This yoga form is a combination of both Indian, Chinese and Western practices to improve our well-being on many levels.
Therefore, you may be easily drawn to yin-yoga while going through personal change because it’s a highly reflective yoga form where you fully connect with your body during practice as well as connect with your true self to create lasting change.
4. Kundalini yoga – the yoga of energy and unlimited universal potential.
I love Kundalini yoga and it’s in my opinion a yoga form for higher consciousness as in it’s core you learn how to move energy through you. Once you’re ready to truly step out of your shell, meet your true self and ready to make the changes you want, kundalini yoga is going to accelerate that experience.
Moreover, in kundalini yoga you move your inner energy with incredible power through mantra meditations and physical practices (kriyas). The practice re-calibrates and balances the energy centers (chakras) throughout the body.
Lastly, practicing kundalini yoga is a truly transformational and multidimensional practice. This yoga form is connecting you to your own inner power, balances the energy in the body and puts you on a path to evolve.
Now, let’s incorporate yoga in your daily routine!
Here are my top 3 tips to start with:
- The best way to start is to set an intention to learn more about how yoga can support you. How can you find a teacher that you can learn from and a yoga studio where you feel comfortable and welcomed. Notice what yoga form you’re drawn to and start there. A great way to manifest what you want is to start talking about it. Simply, mention your intention to friends and why you think yoga is right for you. Amazing ideas may show up!
- Start small. Wherever you are on your journey with yoga I cannot recommend enough to take baby steps. If you’re completely new, go to your first class with a friend. That’s how I got started! For example, if you’re feeling that you’re not ready to go to a class in a yoga studio. Use this guide to yoga and find a class online that feels right. This can take some time to find (there is a sea of options out there).
- Make yoga a regular practice. Yoga is a life-long practice and you can’t be “finished”. Think about it this way: What do you need? If you need to feel yourself in your body again it will take commitment.
So, what is realistic for you? Start with a frequency that you can say yes to no doubt. The important part is that you stick to it and consider yoga part of your life, not a luxury.
If you feel that you’d like support to get started? Click here.
In conclusion, yoga is a way to connect your true self with your body.
I recommend to:
- start where you feel comfortable and excited:
- whether it’s yoga at your desk
- in a vinyasa class in a yoga studio with 30 others
- on the floor at home practicing yin yoga
- or kundalini yoga online.
- know why you’re doing yoga and what it means to you.
- set an intention to find a practice that will support you perfectly where you are in life right now.
- start small and commit to practice yoga regularly.
How can you incorporate yoga in your daily routine using this guide to yoga?
Related:
3 practical ways to use yoga and meditation to change for good.
Use Yoga and Meditation to Transform Your Life
Learn more about Ulrika or get her book Wisdom Beyond What You Know
