You know what effect a yoga practice can have, how it can put a smile on your face, and the stresses of life are just a little bit easier to deal with. However, there may be times when you struggle with motivation and find it hard to stay consistent and focused with your practice.

Sometimes we need a few tricks up our sleeves to motivate and inspire ourselves to step on our yoga mat.

Collect Inspiration

When you come across a quote or a paragraph that truly resonates with you, make it a habit to save it and revisit it whenever you need a little boost. Save it on your device and create a collection of inspiring text snippets. Write it down in your notebook and put a bookmark on the page. This way, you can access them whenever you need a little push.

Create your Space

If you can, dedicate a space in your home to your yoga practice. This can help you to stay consistent. Not everyone has that luxury, and you might need to move furniture around to roll out their mats. But you can put your rolled-up mat nearby, lay out your yoga clothes and light a candle or put a picture or anything special to you nearby. So you create your own mini-shall.

If you practice in the morning, prepare the space the night before to eliminate potential distractions and delays, making it easier for you to step onto your mat the next day.

Let the people you live with know that you will be practising, so they can give you space and your can focus on your yoga without interruptions (if possible :).

Change your mood with Pranayama

When you’re not feeling motivated to practice, do some Pranayama! Breathwork can help shift your mindset. Take a few minutes to focus on deep, intentional breathing. As your mind begins to quiet down, you’ll likely experience a shift in your energy and feel more motivated to step onto your mat.

Save it for later; seek Inspirational Podcasts or Videos

Podcasts and videos focused on yoga and mindfulness can be a wonderful source of inspiration and motivation. If you come across an inspirational podcast episode or video, save it for a time when you need an extra boost. Before starting your yoga practice, watch or listen to the content that will get you into a focused and inspired mindset.

(Try to avoid scrolling through social media for inspiration, as it can lead you down the rabbit hole, and you end up watching reels instead 😉

Reflect and write it down

Connecting with your reasons for practising yoga can reignite your passion and commitment.
Ask yourself:

• What Yoga Means to You?
  Explore what yoga represents in your life right now. Is it a physical or healing practice, a path to self-discovery, or a means of finding inner peace?
• Why do you want to do yoga? What is your hope to gain from it?
  Whether it’s improved flexibility, reduced stress, or a deeper connection with yourself.

The answers can change over the years. Remind yourself why you set yourself up on this path, and then print it out and place it somewhere visible, like your bathroom mirror or refrigerator, so you can see it every day. This will help you to stay connected to your yoga practice.

Plan ahead

Each Sunday evening, look at your calendar for the week ahead. Pencil in when you are going to practice. What kind of practice will you be doing? Is it a self-practice, or will you join an online or in-person class? Can you plan to do a shorter practice on days you don’t have time? What kind of yogic practice will you choose? Need help to create shorter practices?

Remove any obstacles that could interfere with your commitment. Make your practice as accessible as possible by creating a dedicated space, incorporating Pranayama to change your mindset, seeking purposeful content and reflecting on your motivations.

You can cultivate an environment that nurtures your practice. And these tricks will help you to stay inspired, motivated, and committed to your yoga journey.

👉 I created a free Workbook where we explore all the topics above to help you to stay on your yogic journey.

👉 If you want to learn more about the different tools in yoga, like meditation, pranayama and mindfulness, join my yoga membership.

👉 If you need a little nudge, someone holding you accountable for your yoga, then check out the 1:1 sessions I am offering. A one-off class might be enough to learn a pranayama sequence you can do to get you into the right mindset.

👉 And if you need a bit more, I also offer Yoga Coaching, where we work together towards a goal over 2-3 months.

Not sure what you need? Then let’s have a chat and get to know each other with a free discovery call 🤗.