How to Really Succeed in Practicing Yoga Everyday?

“A journey of a thousand miles always begins with the first step,” said a famous Chinese sage a long time ago.

What if you decided today to make yoga a daily practice?

At Géopélie, we are all yoga enthusiasts and practice it as often as the sun rises. Yes, absolutely, (almost) every day ;-)

For gray days, literally and figuratively, as a good yogi you will need to be flexible. Missing one day doesn't mean missing every day. Phew!

Our objective in this post was to bring together all the little tips from the team to help you start your yogic adventure with determination. And to savor every moment of it.

Our credo: one sun salutation per day, one star in the heart forever.

If you are reading us here today, it is because you are already quite convinced of the benefits of yoga. Still a doubt? Take a little detour through our article 28 good reasons to practice yoga, we are waiting for you.

Ready? Let's go !

1. Create new habits

“First we shape our habits, then our habits shape us.” John Dryden

To function, we all need habits. Imagine having to relearn every day how to close the door when leaving the house, charge your phone in the evening, run the dishwasher after dinner or put your clothes in the dirty clothes. What a pain !

Our attention and memory being limited, habits allow us to respond to the thousands of daily requests without losing our minds.

Having habits is cool!

If we break it down, a habit is:

A stimulus (sight, sound, smell, touch, thought)
A response (a chain of actions or thoughts)
A reward (something that increases or reduces the feeling of pleasure or displeasure)

To succeed in doing yoga every day (which corresponds to answer 2), the key is to introduce new stimuli. For example, this could be a specific time of day or a location that suggests it's time to get on your mat.

And then set a carrot: a small reward for recreating the habit. To stay in the yogic vein, we first suggest a good tea after your practice or take a nice relaxing shower with your favorite soap.

Very soon, the well-being that will result from your daily practice will be such that it itself will become the carrot!

Outside of your practice, remind yourself as often as possible of the new habit you are establishing, by writing it on a post-it for example. Visualize yourself doing downward facing dog and imagine the pleasure this posture provides.

Implement your new habit every day for 30 days and you will have won it (a priori) for life!

We'll give you some more advice in the following points, stay with us!

2. Define your purpose, your why and your for whom

“A well-defined goal is half achieved” Abraham Lincoln

There are a thousand and one reasons to want to practice a series of asanas every day, but choose yours wisely. To help you stay focused.

Keep in mind that an objective is dynamic, that is to say it evolves over time. Do not hesitate to reformulate it and update it as you wish.

To be able to last over time, favor regularity rather than quantity, without setting the bar too high. 15 minutes a day is better than two hours a week.

Mark your calendars! Now that you've set your goal (for example, 20 minutes every evening at 8:00 p.m.), make it an official appointment with yourself on your calendar.

After you set your goal, stay flexible. Some days will be more conducive than others to the practice of Yoga.

Do you feel tired and exhausted? Opt for a short Yin Yoga session.

On the contrary, if you feel restless and in the grip of a thousand thoughts per minute, do a Vinyasa session to focus your attention on the sequences of postures.

And if it's really an off day, replace your little ritual with 5 minutes of meditation to help you overcome the chaos of life.

Whatever happens, always respect your rhythm, your mood and your body.

We now move on to why and for whom.

Are you running out of ideas? No worries, here is a small non-exhaustive list to inspire you to define your why:

I want to find a toned and supple body to better reconnect with it
I want to be more serene so that I can then better give love to those close to me
I want to learn to live in the present so that my life is more fulfilled
I want to heal my back and take care of myself, to in turn take care of others

Did you choose something else? Feel free to leave your “why” in the comments below to inspire other Yoginis!

Write your goal nicely on a sheet of paper and post it prominently near where you practice.

3. Demarcate your yoga corner

“The swallow seeks a safe place to make its nest” Boussad Aziz

To practice yoga on a daily basis, there's nothing like a little “corner” just for you, far from the noise and hustle and bustle. It can be a room in your house or a very specific place in your dining room, between the window and the sofa.

Store your mat not too far away so that you only have to reach out to grab it.

If other family members will be home during your ritual, let them know in advance so they tiptoe around. Toddlers and babies around? Ask Dad to keep them busy at the other end of the house. After all, you deserve these 20 minutes just for you.

Always practicing in the same place will help you strengthen your yoga ritual.

Stuck at the office with a busy schedule? Take these yoga postures with you and do them secretly behind your computer 😉

4. Elimination of primary and secondary obstacles

“To overcome obstacles, appeal to reason” Seneca The Happy Life

Or more tangibly: make time and make space!

When an activity is planned, it is more difficult to escape from it. In your diary, designate in advance the time slots reserved for your practice and make sure that you will not be disturbed.

No time ? Know that the practice of yoga will bring you serenity and clarity, two major assets for managing the chaos of life. By “wasting” time doing yoga, you will be more efficient… and more zen!

Don't want to? Take your yoga outfit and mat out of the closet and put them on display. Your subconscious will do the rest for you.

Too much noise and no space? Refer to point 3 ;-)

5. Practice Yoga at home

“The hardest part is deciding to act, the rest is just tenacity.” Amelia Earhart

Once you have tasted the joys of a little yoga session in the privacy of your home, you may well develop an addiction to it.

But before you start doing Yoga on your own at home, make sure you have learned the basics from a teacher, to limit the risk of injury.
Once started, create your short list of favorite yoga sessions on YouTube or improvise your own sequence of postures.

And as you are in charge, personalize your session endlessly with your candles, incense, the gentle sound of Tibetan bowls in the background and your essential oil diffuser!

Nothing stops you from coming back to the studio from time to time, to reboost the Yogini that lies dormant in you.

A little tip just for you: if you want a little free Sunday session, Camille from camsyoga gives a class on Facebook and YouTube every Sunday.

6. Stay motivated

“Every success begins with the willingness to try”

There is no point in running, you have to take it step by step.

Losing speed ? Review your goals which are perhaps a bit too ambitious? As we said above, a few minutes of yoga a day is better than a big session lasting several hours from time to time.

But why ?

Simply to reinforce your daily habit. This is the principle of the booster shot.

The more solid your base is (for example 15 minutes every two days, without exception), the more you will be able to build and develop your ritual.

We give you some ideas to vary the pleasures in the following point.

7. Spice up your practice

“You think adventure is dangerous? Try the routine, it is deadly » Paolo Coelho

That’s it, it’s been a few weeks since you implemented your new little “homemade” yoga routine.

And boredom stalks you...

A few little tips to make this daily yoga practice the one you'll never want to miss.

Once your ritual is well established, try to vary your sessions and introduce new postures. There are so many choices on YouTube that it would take a lifetime to follow all the yoga sessions that are offered to us.
You can also adapt your practice to the rhythm of the seasons. Reading Seasons of Yoga by Barbara Litzler will undoubtedly inspire you in this process.

We have dedicated an entire article to review the 5 main categories of yoga postures, don't hesitate to take a look to learn how to vary the pleasures in a more intuitive way.

By choosing a positive intention or affirmation connected to your ritual according to your current state of mind, you will make each session unique. Are you facing a storm of stress? Try for example, “When I am in the present, every day is easier.”

And finally, invite a Yogini friend, your mother or your cat to share your mat for a session. This is a beautiful interpretation of spending quality time with loved ones!

However you practice yoga regularly, learn to savor your journey and the small progress. More than the destination, it’s the journey that counts!

Are you starting out and don't know what type of yoga to start with? Follow Camille's advice and find out which yoga is best for you here!

Discover here our eco-responsible yoga outfits made in France from recycled materials!

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To find out more about the different types of yoga, click here :