Practicing Yoga as a Full-Time Student
by Tess Kennedy, Inner Fire Yoga Teacher, and full-time grad student
If you’re a student, and a yoga student, you likely know how challenging it can be to make it to your yoga mat regularly. I think a lot of this comes from the fact that, as students, we are never really “off work.” No matter what, we can always study harder or do more. Despite working long and odd hours, we are somehow always behind. This, combined with the lack of structure in our schedules, makes it hard to get into a routine and make time for self-care.
Seven years ago, as a freshman at UW, I walked into Claire Peterson’s Power class at Inner Fire Yoga’s campus studio. I wish I could say that after attending that first IFY class I immediately cultivated a consistent, dedicated yoga practice, and all went smoothly from there on out.
This was not the case. It took me six months to make it to a second class, and another two years to really become grounded in my yoga practice. And to this day, even as a graduate student and yoga teacher, I find it difficult to maintain a regular yoga practice while balancing school, work, and everything in between.
I say this to say that carving out time for practice as a full-time student is challenging, and I certainly have not mastered it. What I can do is share what has worked for me in prioritizing my practice, and, as yoga teachers love to say, “take what you need and leave what you don’t!”
Tess’ tips for cultivating a consistent yoga practice as a full-time student
Get clear on your “why.”
"Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become." – James Clear
The first step to prioritizing your yoga practice is answering one simple question: why do I practice yoga?
We all know that there are many mental and physical benefits to practicing yoga. At the same time, it is rarely the external benefits that keep us coming back. The real “why” is often rooted in something deeper. Who do I want to become? What do I value most? How do I want to show up for the people I love? You know, those easy, conversation-starter type questions ;)
There is no right, wrong, better, or worse reason for coming to your mat, but if you do not have a reason, I can almost guarantee that you will not continue to show up. It is also likely that your reason for practicing will shift and change. I find it helpful to return to this question frequently, especially when I feel like I’m losing my practice.
Here and now is a good place to start.
Yoga Sutra 1.1: Atha yoga anushasanam: “now, the practice of yoga.”
I like to imagine the yoga asana practice as a mini lifespan; we begin in child's pose and end in corpse pose, and in between we get a bunch of weird sh*t thrown our way. Only, in this mini lifespan there are no repercussions, so we get to practice how we’d like to respond to those challenges. We get to notice our initial reactions and practice responding with self-compassion, awareness, discipline, and ease. Then, we can carry those same practices into our lives, where the really weird sh*t lives.
The first yoga sutra can be translated as, “now, the practice of yoga.” To me this means that wherever we are, whatever we are doing, we can choose to practice yoga.
Practice is not confined within the four corners of the yoga mat. Practice can look like taking a deep breath before speaking, getting curious about a thought that won’t leave your head, extending compassion to someone who hurt you, or taking an extra moment to smell the flowers on the way to your exam.
Wherever. Whenever. Here and now. The practice of yoga.
Make it work with your schedule and leave some wiggle room.
No matter how many times people tell me that morning yoga is the best, I’ve found that it’s just not for me. Each person’s rhythm and schedule will be different, so find a schedule that works for you. If you’re a student, I recommend scheduling your yoga at the times when you usually have trouble focusing on schoolwork. If you are most productive in the evenings, schedule your yoga practice in the mornings.
I also recommend scheduling one more class than you would like to attend. For example, if you’d like to practice 3 times per week, put 4 class times in your calendar at the beginning of the week.
When you’re a student, unexpected tasks always seem to arise: an assignment you had no idea was due that week, a reading that took way longer than expected, etc. I’ve found that, realistically, I always go to one less class than I have scheduled. If you tend to cancel last minute, scheduling an extra class each week can create a buffer for the inevitable unexpected.
When you fall out of your routine, be a goldfish.
“You know what the happiest animal in the world is? It’s a goldfish. It’s got a 10 second memory. Be a goldfish!” – Ted Lasso
The Yoga Sutras tell us that a state of Yoga can be achieved through a balance of abhyasa and vairagya. Abhyasa meaning “effort" or "diligent practice,” and vairagya meaning “nonattachment to the outcome of the practice.” To quote my philosophy teacher, Nikhil Kulshrestha, "never give up, always let go."
As a student, there will be times when life gets in the way of your yoga practice. If and when you fall out of your routine, be kind to yourself and take it as an opportunity to practice letting go. If you start to hear your internal dialogue spouting things like “I’m a quitter,” replace it with “I will continue to show up imperfectly, knowing that life happens.” Then be a goldfish and get back to your practice.
There are no rules.
“It is only when there is no goal and no rush that the human senses are fully open to receive the world.” – Alan Watts
“Perfection” is not the destination. Committing, again and again, to a loving, wholehearted practice is the destination. Practice with joy, find teachers who inspire you, and never take any of it too seriously.
When you want to practice but your body is saying no to a full 60 minutes, 5 sun salutations at home is perfect. When you can’t make it to your mat at all, find a moment in the day to close your eyes for a few slow breaths. And if you ever want to come to my class and lay in savasana the entire time, I would love to have you. No rush, no goal, no rules.
On my busiest weeks, I like to remind myself that I have never once regretted carving out time for my yoga practice. This practice never fails to show me where I’m stuck, remind me of what matters most, and guide me closer to myself and the people I love. For that reason, I choose to keep showing up, however imperfectly, and encouraging my people to do the same.
If you have any other tips or would like to share your “why” for coming to your mat, please leave a comment!
Big hugs,
Tess