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How to motivate yourself for yoga?

"Yoga develops our flexibility."

"Yoga relieves back pain."

"Yoga strengthens our patience and self-confidence."

"Yoga removes our tension and nervousness"...


It is easy to notice how useful yoga is for the overall physical and mental health and to conclude that exercise is the right thing for us. When we recognize how important and useful something is for ourselves, then the motivation to embark on something is born. But, how many of us, after all these "Yoga is great" cognitions, finally recognize ourselves in that joke in which a person hopes for a Lotto prize and has not paid the ticket? In this case, why did we never go to yoga class or why did we give up after a few attempts despite that we liked and that we wanted to continue?


Concentration determines our life success


The power to focus on one subject and ignore others (hinders) is the very core of our will. From the moment we decide to practice yoga, to the moment when yoga is our regular habit, we rely on an internal mechanism - self-control.


Psychologist Daniel Goleman claims that our success depends on self-control. Not only success with yoga practice, but in general, our success in life depends on self-control. The stronger self-control, the greater self-realization.


On the way from intention to a new habit, we encounter various provocations and our success depends on the skill to focus and resist these temptations. Old patterns of behavior, mechanisms of procrastination, laziness and easy giving up are obstacles that sabotage us. With all these syndromes, "from Monday I will" stand in the way of focusing - when we focus our attention on what we have set as a goal, instead of provocations and instincts that distract us from the goal.

Muscles for success


In this some of us are more skilled, some less skilled, and some are clearly clumsy. The good news is that focus is practiced. Daniel Goleman claims that our attention is like a muscle, if it is used badly, then it is weak, but stronger when used properly.


So, when you want to practice yoga because you estimate that it is useful to you, remember that while yoga becomes a routine and a new habit, you practice both focus and self-control. And these qualities are the basis of satisfaction and productivity, and how successful we are depends on them.


But even better, in yoga classes, everything revolves around conscious attention. Whether we exercise the body, we deepen breathing or relax, in all techniques we strengthen and develop attention, focus and self-control. We practice how to resist automatisms and provocations, so while we exercise the body, we also exercise the brain.


Let yoga strengthen our will


In order for something to become a new habit, we need time of about 8 weeks of regular exercise. This is some optimal time that is needed to form neural pathways in the brain. And the more we practice, the stronger this pathway becomes. New habits create new neural pathways for us, and new neural pathways change our old patterns of behavior.


By practicing yoga regularly, we strengthen the will to move, to be persistent, not to give up. Our classes are pleasant and useful, so we don't skip them, even when the challenges are ahead of us. From yoga class to class, in the next 8 weeks, we formed a new neural path. The next time we find ourselves in front of something new or in front of something that we have to do for ourselves, to start, our brain does not move according to the old automatism towards the paths of procrastination and giving up, but is directed to a new practiced path. The path by which we practiced our will, motivation and self-discipline while practicing yoga, is now becoming our model of behavior. We have introduced a new rule into life.


We start with small things:

• We define why we want to practice yoga, for example, to get rid of back pain;

• Let's start with smaller goals, one by one. Two hours a week is enough to start. If it is not too much for us, then we give up more often, and if it is not too little, in order to recognize the effects;

• After each class we notice how we feel. And we remember that feeling before every next hour. We remember that feeling is important to us and thus we give value to our feeling, but also our behavior;

• After 2 months, we can already notice the progress, not only how easier it is to perform asanas, breathe more relaxed, but also easier to focus, relax more, easily organize and prepare for class. And we feel better physically. Back pain may be relieved, it may be less, or at least easier when we get up. Progress is motivation in itself;

• In yoga classes we meet new people and some become important to you, which is an additional motivation not to miss classes, because it is an opportunity to meet friends;

• If you have chosen online yoga classes, you can always start practicing with your friends, then you are each other’s support and motivation.


For the end I left you a little demonstration of what it looks like when we are on a seesaw between instinct and goal to stay focused.

In a photo taken some time ago, I am in the yoga position of Moordhasana. The ambience in which the photo was taken has a special emotional value for me, beautiful and significant memories. For that reason, I wanted to take a photo at this place in this position.


Moordhasana is great if you want to stretch well, calm down at the same time, develop focus and concentration. You need this because you are facing the ground. The asana strongly stretches both legs, stretches the whole back, the whole spine, and this position of the arms opens and stretches our arms, shoulders and the whole chest. The photo shows that the legs are stable and strong. Which is significant for this position. The feet are firmly pressed to the floor.


You may have noticed while reading these lines that you had a slight tension between focusing on the text and distraction with the text itself, which activates our urge to look at the photo.


The ability to focus on something in relation to everything else that distracts us, attracts us, names us, is basically the strength of will. We practice it with yoga in various ways.

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