How to deepen your yoga practice

If you feel as though your yoga practice has come to a plateau, we’ve come up with our top ten suggestions to help you progress:

1. Set an intention at the beginning of class – yoga is a mind-body practice and by setting an intention and awakening a deeper level you will get so much more out of your practice than just a physical workout.
2. Connect – to make sure that you are truly present on your mat close your eyes and focus on your breath. It can be hard to shake off a busy mind but with practice you can direct all your energy to your yoga practice and reap the rewards.
3. Engage your muscles – you can get your body into a pose but to get the most from it, really switch on your muscles and take it to your ‘edge’ (remembering not to lose your breath).
4. Read up on your yoga history and philosophy – immersing yourself in yoga can ignite a spark that will never leave you. The deeper your knowledge and understanding of yoga, the deeper the benefits.
5. Take what you learn on the mat off the mat:
   • Breathe – breathing promotes relaxation and encourages us to slow down
   • Focus – when you focus on the task in hand, you execute it so much better
   • Inhale the good; exhale the bad – draw in acceptance and release resistance
   • Accept challenges – it makes us stronger
   • Let it go – release any negative thoughts or emotions, focus on the now, embrace the positive
   • Body & mind connect – having a healthy mind is just as important as having a healthy body
6. Dedicate 10 minutes a day to home practice – practice with consistency. Perhaps incorporate a particular pose into your flow each week that you need to work on – arm balances anyone?!
7. Make yogi friends – don’t be shy! Before and after class is the perfect chance to connect with like-minded souls.
8. Try different classes & workshops, mix it up! As humans we are naturally creatures of habit and routine. It’s good to sometimes step outside of our comfort zone and experience something new and challenging.
9. Don’t try so hard...let it go – yoga is all about balance. Connect and focus but also ‘let it go’. Relax and don’t try so hard and you will find that both your mind and body will get so much more out of your yoga practice.
10. Enroll on a teacher training course – if you feel as though you want and need more, then perhaps becoming a yoga teacher yourself is your destiny. Even if you don’t want to teach, embarking on a course is a fantastic opportunity to really take your yoga to the next level.