5 Tips for Success in your Personal Revolution
by Hannah Moran (Director of Marketing & Operations / Yoga Teacher)
If you signed up for our Winter Personal Revolution, this blog is for you! If you haven’t (yet!) – this blog is still for you ;) And it’s not too late to sign up! Read on for details…
Every few months, I sign up for our seasonal Personal Revolutions (yoga challenges) with high hopes and good intentions. Sometimes I complete them, and sometimes I don’t. The times that I finish, I use some of the strategies outlined in this article, which without a doubt contribute to my success!
Completing the challenge isn’t really the point, though. The point is to dedicate yourself to a frequent, disciplined yoga practice, and feel the incredible mind-body benefits of such dedication. The Personal Revolution is merely a vehicle through which you can begin to explore the difference between a casual yoga practice and a more dedicated one. Spoiler alert – BIG difference!
With a casual yoga practice (1x/week or less), we feel great for about 24 hours after we take a class, but then life gets stressful and our bodies get stiff again. Additionally, it’s much harder to feel progress in our yoga when we only practice it so infrequently.
With a more dedicated yoga practice (2-3x/week or more) we feel stronger and less stressed, sleep better, and have an easier time being present in everyday life (among many other benefits!). Each class builds off of the last one. There’s almost a momentum to it!
So if you’re looking to be successful in the Winter Personal Revolution (whatever “successful” means to you), try these 5 tips that have helped me find success in the past:
1. Bring friends! Not only is yoga more fun with friends around, but they can also help hold you accountable, and you them. There’s nothing like a yoga buddy!
2. Book all classes for the week in advance. I do this every Sunday for the week ahead, not only because I want to guarantee myself a spot (lots of classes are selling out lately!), but also because it helps me commit to my practice. I’m WAY more likely to attend when I’ve booked ahead of time than when I wait to see how I feel 30 minutes before the class. Sometimes there aren’t even spots available then! So always book as far in advance as possible.
3. Mark your calendar. Put it on your Google/Apple/Outlook calendar. Set yourself a reminder (or three). Block off time every week that is specifically dedicated to yoga time. Do whatever you have to do to make sure it’s locked into your plan for the week. We are much less likely to bail when we mark ourselves as “unavailable” for other activities at that time.
4. Set strong intentions. On the Personal Revolution sign-up charts at the studios, we always leave a spot to write in an intention. Setting a good intention can make or break how dedicated you become to the challenge. Choosing something that is meaningful to you is an important part of the process. See this blog for tips on setting strong and effective intentions!
5. Hold yourself accountable. This involves honesty, forgiveness, and reflection. Ask yourself how you feel when you practice 4x/week, vs. just once. You could even go so far as to keep a journal and write down how you feel every time you practice, and every time you don’t practice. And of course, forgive yourself when you don’t quite hit your goals. Yoga is a life-long practice and non-judgemental self-inquiry is a part of everyone’s yoga journey.
Remember – it’s not too late to sign up for the Winter Personal Revolution on the sticker charts at your favorite IFY studio! Challenge yourself to 3x/week or 4x/week for 12 weeks, or try our 30-day challenge! Track your progress as you go, feel great inside and out, and win prizes when you finish :)
Do you have your own tips and practices for staying dedicated to a good habit? Share it with us in a comment below!
Good luck to you all this Winter – I’ll see you on the mat :)
Namaste,
Hannah
