How to Get Back Into Yoga After Taking Time Off
2020 will be remembered as the year our lives were turned upside down. We were no longer able to go out to favorite restaurants, to work, or to our beloved yoga studios. During quarantine, we had to reinvent our daily schedules and balance new responsibilities, and for many yogis, yoga got put on the backburner.
But, even during a normal year, we fall in and out of routines. If you’ve taken some time away from yoga, whether due to the impact of the pandemic or for another reason, don’t feel bad. The skills you have will stick with you, and you can always get back in shape. Yoga will always be there for you!
That being said, it can be sort of daunting to jump back into a regular yoga routine when you’ve taken a significant amount of time off. Here is some advice to help you ease back into a routine, reignite your love for yoga, and build an even greater appreciation for all the ways yoga can benefit us.
Start small and take it slow
The worst mistake you can make when diving back into your yoga routine is assuming you’ll be at the same physical level as you were before. Pushing yourself too hard during your first practice will be challenging, at best, and, at worst, could result in injury.
First, don’t forget to warm up. If you used to practice yoga for an hour, try a thirty-minute lesson. If you used to take poses to the next level for a challenge, just do the basic poses this time.
Rediscover motivation and inspiration
A challenge you may or may not face when getting back into yoga is finding motivation and inspiration. Some get a burst of motivation when beginning a new exercise routine, while others take a bit more time to build a habit and regain their passion for exercising.
If you’re like us, you know a new pair of yoga pants always motivates you to get back on the mat. Check out these yoga necessities for every kind of yogi!
Take this opportunity to switch up your routine
Speaking of struggling to find motivation and inspiration… A good way to reignite your passion for yoga is to switch it up! If you were stuck in the same old routines, poses, music, and locations before you fell off the yoga wagon, take this opportunity as a chance to reset.
It’s up to you how you switch it up. If you always did yoga indoors, maybe now you’ll start doing outdoor yoga. If you always listen to the same genre of music, maybe you’ll start listening to a totally different playlist. Or, if you’re quarantined at home with the kids, maybe you’ll turn your kids into mini-yogis!
If you’ve always done Hatha yoga, maybe now you’ll give hot yoga a try. Here’s a guide to all the different kinds of yoga. There are lot, so here is a helpful guide to finding the right kind of yoga for you.