Keeping up my practice

Life has been pretty full-on and my anchor throughout has been my yoga practice. Not always a strict 1-hour, but moments that I can grab on to, even if to just take the fullest breath of the day and regulate my nervous system.

How it helps me

Like with anything you love, you notice how much you need it when you don’t have it. I’m finding a way to include a daily practice, because a day without, for me, is never as good as a day that has a little something. It can be a full body Vinyasa, a 5 minute breathwork, a running/walking meditation. But it’s there. It’s keeping up my practice that bolsters me, makes me kinder to myself, and reminds me to choose thoughts, words, and actions that are kind to others.

How I fit it in

At the start of 2024 I made myself a promise: that I would start each day with more intention, less chaos, and more time. It’s not always possible, but where I can (and ensuring I’ve got the amount of sleep that I need) starting my day with movement seemed at first tough to climb out of bed for, but now something that feels second nature. Taking the obligation out of it and just moving my body, whether it’s a run, walk and coffee, or yoga class I can press play on after or during my first coffee, I know that however I feel about the rest of the day, this is the start of a good one.

How I set goals

Everything I get done in a day has a place on my digital planner. I plan out each day, so I know where and when my movement opportunities are, scheduled around where I need to be and when. For me, keeping myself accountable and organised leads to so much satisfaction. Even on the tougher days, I can look back and see what I have acheived, using this momentum to carry on into the next day. Planning my movement is how I ensure it gets done, as well as the use of Runna for planning my running sessions (I couldn’t be without it!). Some may say I’m a planning nerd, I say it brings me joy!