Keeping Up, Building a Practice

The Yoga Yoga Story by Mehtab
Founder, Yoga Yoga

Yoga is like true love. It’s always there when you need it, even when you sometimes neglect it, and it definitely has its ups and downs.

Every week I talk to people who tell me, “I did Yoga a year (5 years, 20 years) ago, but I stopped and I don’t know why because I always felt great when I did it.”

Building a regular, consistent yoga practice is like working on a good relationship. Even when the times and days are tough, you still show up and put in the effort. Woody Allen said that “Ninety percent of life is just showing up,” and with Yoga, I might push that up to 99%.

The act of coming to a yoga class is a victory. You conquered your laziness, your excuses, your resistance to growth and change, and you sent yourself a message that “I am worth this.”

The greatest yoga students and teachers are not necessarily those who know every posture or every bit of yogic lore. They are the ones who have a solid, day in and day out practice, who put in the time and the effort, and who are rich enough to give themselves the greatest gift of all, the gift to grow, to heal, and to excel.

Over the years, we discovered people who practice 2 to 3 times weekly right from the beginning gain the lifelong benefits of yoga. If you are new or just starting, twice a week is a must to begin the beneficial changes in your body. Ideally, you practice yoga almost every day, either at home or in class.

Just like any worthwhile relationship, the more you put into yoga, the better it gets.