Q and A with Isaac on staying motivated.

Isaac

What motivates you to keep coming back to your mat?

My biggest motivation is mental health. Exercise is a key part of my mental health regimine, getting out there and sweating it out, practicing breathing techniques, and mindfulness of how my body is feeling and reacting are all things that I otherwise wouldn't be able to knock out consistently. I have found this especially important over this past year with flexibility being a skill that we've all had to acquire. It can come with a lot of stress and coming to my mat consistently gives me that daily dose of agency over my life that has been so lacking.

What suggestions do you have specifically for new students to build a regular yoga practice?

Start with realistic goals, and don't take yourself too seriously. I started out with the goal of making it to my mat at least once a week, and that has evolved into a daily practice over the years. But, there are still weeks where I have to realize that life doesn't always permit that and I will go back to that once a week goal. You have to be realistic about your practice and accept that there will be days missed and that's okay, as long as you make it back to your mat eventually.

How did you develop a consistent yoga practice? 

I started with the goal of one class a week, that was super hard at first. Coming to my mat and making space to care for myself was a new concept that was hard to build into the life of a child, but when your family is supporting you, it helps a lot. The real challenge in developing a consistent practice came when I left for college. Now, I didn't have those people keeping me accountable and it showed. It wasn't until I found a teacher that I loved at school that I was able to start developing a consistent practice again. I recommend finding that teacher that you vibe with, and then setting a realistic goal for yourself. Maybe it's two practices a week, maybe one a week, maybe even one every two weeks, find what works best for you and don't push yourself until the practice schedule you have going feels effortless. Once I got a consistent daily practice, it evolved into further educating myself on the practice. For me, that next step was becoming a teacher, but that may not be for you! Maybe that means grabbing a good book about yoga and giving it a read, incorporating the suggestions in that book, and your practice will start to feel more like you're playing as you absorb more and more knowledge. Just have fun with it and don't take yourself too seriously, a pose may not look like you imagine it should on your body - that was a big step for me - but it allowed me to play and explore more in my practice!

What were/are things that get in your way of continued practice? How do you overcome them?

Things that get in your way can be numerous. It could be a stressful work/school week, a vacation, friend in town, etc. times when it is just difficult to make it to the studio! These are great opportunities to start a practice at home. Maybe do a few sun salutations before bed or take five minutes in your day to practice mindful breathing. Try your hardest to take at least an half an hour out of your week to practice in some capacity. Videos on YouTube are a great resource, but sometimes I just want an instructor I know and connect with. A great thing about being at Vibe is all of the online platforms available, primarily ViYo. The ViYo video rental service is a great way to find a 5, 10, 15 minute, or longer practice with an instructor that you love!

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