Do you want to change your thoughts? Practice Yoga!
Learn how to start a slow mindful yoga practice to help shift your mindset
“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.”
~ The Bhagavad Gita
I’ve been interested in psychology and the human mind for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t pay any attention to the practice of yoga until well into my 40’s.
Feeling regret is not useful or helpful and I try very hard not to ever go into that feeling space, but I can’t help sometimes wondering how my life would be different if I had discovered the benefits of yoga when I was much younger.
I used to think that any slow movement practices (yoga, seated meditation, moving meditation, tai chi, etc.) were a waste of time so I spent years at the gym sweating it out and focusing on faster and harder. There’s nothing wrong with that and we need cardio exercise to stay healthy, but we also need balance. At that stressful time in my life, though, I believed I needed that intense physical activity and I used that time to “zone out” and disconnect my mind from my body.
Distraction was key - I didn’t think I wanted to know myself.
Fast forward to this new chapter in my life and I now see the incredible value of what one of my yoga teachers, Kristine Weber of Subtle Yoga, calls innercise. Innercise includes practices that help you connect with yourself, i.e., connect your mind, brain and body. It includes slow mindful yoga and meditation practices. These practices increase interoceptive awareness (how we perceive body sensations) and help us connect how our body is feeling with our emotions and our mind.
So, if you want to shift how your mind is thinking, incorporating practices that increase interoceptive awareness, such as slow mindful yoga, meditation, reflective journaling, and breathing practices (also called pranayama), will make a big difference.
Let’s focus here on starting a yoga practice. Ironically, while yoga helps create mindset shifts, you’ll need to have a mindset shift to start a yoga practice if it’s not already something you do anyway.
Here are 5 mindset shifts you can make today to start a yoga practice:
Start with a very small step. My coaching mentor, Martha Beck, calls this a turtle step. A turtle step is a teeny-tiny, “no brainer” step you can take right now that doesn’t take much effort but starts the ball rolling. Here’s an example: perhaps you could decide to put aside 5-10 minutes in your day to practice.
Think about what you’d like to practice. Would you like to start with seated meditation? Or maybe a standing pose (i.e., mountain pose, a standing forward bend, tree pose….)? What about lying down on your back (i.e., savasana, knees to chest….)? The possibilities are endless and the best thing is that YOU get to decide.
Add a daily yoga practice to your calendar/to-do list. If you find that you’re one of those people who are always too busy for self-care, then I recommend scheduling it in your calendar. Pretend it’s a doctor or dentist appointment, or a commitment you’ve made to someone else. Just schedule it! Here’s a suggestion: If you really can’t seem to find time on your calendar (and that’s a whole other topic for another time!) then sneak your practice into your day. For example:
Do tree pose or a quad stretch while washing the dishes.
Do some seated stretches while watching t.v.
Consciously practice mountain pose while standing in line at the store.
You get the idea!
Set an intention for your practice. Setting intentions is a great habit to get into. Every time you’re about to do something in your day, it’s a good idea to be intentional about what you want to get out of that activity. An example of a morning intention is “Today I will remember to breathe.” Before you start each yoga practice, set an intention related to the practice, for example, “In today’s practice I will remember I don’t need to be perfect”. In fact, give yourself permission to be terrible at it!
Listen to your body. You may decide on Monday that you’re going to do some standing balance poses on Wednesday, but maybe that day you’re tired and some more restorative yoga may be what you need. Give yourself a break and do what your body is asking you to do.
Finally, cut yourself some slack. If you don’t make it to the mat when you planned to, then just get there when you can. The main thing is that you keep practicing! Over time you’ll start to connect your body with your mind and notice gentle shifts in your thinking. It all starts with one small step.
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I’d love to hear from you so please send any comments or questions to me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com. Feel free to share this email with anyone else who may be interested.
For an audio version of this week’s blog, please check out my podcast here:
Are you interested in life change & mindset coaching? If you are interested in exploring new ways to bring joy into your world and live your best life, please email me to set up a complimentary 30 minute coaching session/discovery call at sharon@sharonashtonmindulyoga.com or visit my website coaching page.
"I felt at complete ease with Sharon from our first conversation. She has a wonderful, gentle but firm way that made me focus on my thoughts / feelings so I could remove / change to move forward with a completely different feeling to what felt like obstacles. It was great having regular coaching that gently kept me accountable to actioning and moving towards my goals. Sharon has vast experience in so many areas, I felt that makes her an amazing coach.”
— Michelle Carney, East Galway, Ireland
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