In a rare fit of consistency, I decided to practice yoga every day for a month. I am not a yogini, but an average, works-out-a-few-times-a-week kind of woman. I told myself that I would commit to just 15 minutes a day, nothing crazy. In the process, I started to feel better physically (less tension in my neck and shoulders, no more back twinges) and I learned some new things about what I could accomplish.
- I can make a new habit. Doing yoga every day taught me that if I can do this every day, then I can do other things every day too (like write, read to my kids, make sure the dishes are done before bedtime). It gave me confidence that I can build other little habits into my routine. My drive toward self-improvement sometimes gets out of control, but keeping my expectations modest actually boosted me up rather than left me feeling hopeless, like I did in the past when I'd get overwhelmed trying for things that were big, long-term commitments (writing a book, running for a half hour straight) without breaking them down into manageable chunks.
Some days yoga has been life-changing, and others, it's just another thing to cross off on my to-do list, but no matter what, I'm feeling better.
If you are interested, the app I use (for the iPad) is called Yoga Studio.
The picture is me in lizard pose, and by the way, doing yoga does not look as sexy as it feels.
This blog originally appeared on www.gretedeangelo.com.
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