Does it make you groan when thinking about how to get yoga time into your daily schedule? You're not alone! Very few people that I know make it to the studio or gym every single day, BUT you can get yoga in where it fits in and feel some awesome benefits with my tips and a tiny mindset shift.
Yoga: Way More Than Poses
I challenge you to expand your mind and think of yoga in its entirety. What do I mean by that? Understand that yoga encompasses so many things besides poses. Its breath control, meditation, how you treat yourself and others - actually 8 limbs to be exact and only 1 of those is the physical asana practice. If you start recognizing your yoga practice as all of these things, you can start finding places in your day where you can incorporate them...or maybe even realize that you're already doing better than you thought.
In this 3-part blog series, I'll give you tips on adding poses, breathing, and meditation to activities that you're already doing. Try them out, see how it feels, and start high-fiving yourself for actually getting your yoga in every day!
3 Quick & Simple Tips for Daily Meditation
Meditation's focus is bringing you into the present moment with limited distractions and little to no interaction with distractions that arise.
1. Coffee Time
Many people, including me, start the day off with a beverage. If coffee isn't your thing, substitute for your tea, smoothie or whatever you drink in the morning. This tip is about being aware of all senses in this small but important ritual. Plus, you'll check off yoga on your to do list first thing in the morning without having to get up any earlier.
- As you're making your coffee, notice the sounds around you. Are they pleasant or unpleasant? What makes you think of them that way?
- Feel the cup in your hand. What are 3 ways to describe it?
- Take a deep inhale over your cup. How does your coffee smell this morning?
- As you take that first sip, notice the way it tastes. Sweet? Bold? Creamy? Spicy?
That's it! Do you feel more present than usual? Did this make your morning routine feel a little more special?
2. Earthing
From blogs to health organizations, you've probably heard about earthing somewhere. Basically, its the idea that regularly connecting to the actual earth with your bare skin can help enhance your health and wellness. In yoga, we'd refer to this as a grounding activity. Literally being in touch with nature gives you an opportunity to connect to something bigger than you. When done with intention and in the present, its a form of mediation. If you love being in nature or feel like you need more of that in your life, take the opportunity to turn these ordinary activities into meditation.
- Playing with the kiddos in the yard
- Act like a kid yourself and roll around in the grass...or at the very least walk on the grass barefoot. Feel the ground beneath you. Take a deep breath in and out. How do you feel?
- Tree hugging
- I always start out laughing at myself, then end up almost falling asleep while loving on my aspen tree. Find a tree that's huggable, wrap your arms around it, smile and breathe.
***Obviously, check out the place where you're going to be barefoot and make sure its safe. Same goes with the tree you're hugging.
3. Bedtime
Even the busiest of people have 1 minute at bedtime that can be reallocated to meditation. This doesn't have to be complicated at all.
- Simply cozy up in your bed, close your eyes, and start breathing slow and controlled through your nose.
- After about 3 rounds of breath, you can continue with the slow breathing until you fall asleep OR list off two things that made you smile that day.
Try one of these out for 5 days in a row and see if its something you want to stick with. If not, switch it up and try one of the other tips. Notice which one you enjoy the most and which one is the easiest to integrate into your lifestyle. Namaste!
Ready to start meditating? Check out my on-demand video classes!
About the Author:
Tiffany Lord is a corporate yoga coach and founder of Love + Asana, a virtual studio launched in 2016 offering workplace wellness sessions, workshops and program design. Her sessions incorporate movement and mindfulness focusing on benefits for stress relief and chronic pain. Tiffany’s fun, approachable style makes classes feel like you’re hanging out with friends while also improving your mental and physical health.
She is an E-RYT with the Yoga Alliance and currently enrolled in a 500-hour training with Yoga Medicine focusing on yoga applications for common range of motion issues. Continuing education in meditation, breathing techniques, myofascial release, yoga for COVID-19 recovery and training as a massage therapist help make her sessions relevant and beneficial to clients who want simple movement and mindfulness techniques that improve their quality of life. Her articles on wellness through yoga have been featured in online and print publications, such as fyi50+ and CO Yoga + Life magazine.
Questions? Contact Tiffany at loveandasana@gmail.com