Top 10 Tips for Starting Again

The secret to longevity in yoga practice is a willingness to begin again.

If you’re ready to get back on your mat and recommit to a regular rhythm of practice, you’re in good company. Getting disconnected from, and subsequently coming back to your practice is something all longtime practitioners will do at one time or another.

As you continue down the road of yoga, the question isn’t whether you’ll get disconnected from your practice, it's how will you bring yourself back?

Here are my top ten tips for starting again:

1. Welcome yourself even more unconditionally than usual.

2. Begin with something you love that feels great in your body and go from there. (Rolling around on the floor counts.)

3. Be generous with yourself. Keep it slow and sweet and stay for as long as you want.

4. Allow more space than usual for rest, breath, and simply feeling.

5. Practicing in pajamas is totally okay.

6. No mirrors allowed.

7. Be more mindful than usual of the positive effects of the practice by noting how you feel afterward.

8. Don’t try to get better at anything.

9. No expectations. Whatever you do is enough.

10. Consciously thank yourself for showing up no matter what your practice looked like.