A yoga practice is meant to be done consistently and over a long period of time. While there is the goal of enlightenment, it is not assumed that one will reach samadhi within an individual lifetime. In a goal oriented society, that could potentially be hard to grasp. However, while it isn’t necessary to reach an “end goal” within yoga, it is assumed that one’s yoga practice will grow overtime. Even though we may not reach nirvana right now, one should still strive to move the needle forward in gaining peace, integration, and contentment. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned yogi, here’s 3 tips to grow your yoga practice.
Find the teachers that resonate with you.
I’m not talking about the teachers whose playlist you can dance to or the teachers who you can talk about your late nights with, not that there’s anything wrong with this. I’m talking about the teachers who provide the container for you to step into YOU. I’m talking about the teachers who you learn something new from when you take their classes. I’m talking about the teachers who show up authentically and grounded, which naturally creates space for you to do the same. This applies to yogis of all levels because teachers sometimes cycle out of studios. If your favorite teacher leaves after 25 years of practicing with them, it would be in your best interest to find another teacher who helps you continue your journey of growth and connection.
Julie Pasqual is a long time teacher in the YogaRenew family. Her stories in yoga philosophy and beautiful chants make her practice truly one of a kind. Her classes always resonated with me deeply.
Participate in concentrated learning experiences.
This includes but isn’t limited to specialized classes, workshops, trainings, courses, privates and/or retreats. There are many different formats for these types of experiences from 2 hours to several weeks and beyond! You might do a 2 hour long workshop focused on the pelvic floor or you may decide to do a 10 month long teacher training. Either experience is what I would consider to be “concentrated” because you’re diving deep into the topics at hand. There are so many options to choose from live or online, but every time I have decided to do a workshop or course (especially with teachers who resonate with me…see point 1), I have walked out having gained knowledge and a deeper awareness/understanding of myself.
This is one of the weekly group classes led at YogaRenew’s headquarters in Hoboken, NJ with teacher Mélie Purdon.
Try different styles and lineages of yoga.
Every style of yoga and every lineage of yoga has something different to offer. To grow your practice, it’s best to expose yourself to the various teachings that this ancient practice has to offer. If you’re used to power yoga, try taking yin classes and/or restorative classes. If you’re a vinyasa only yogi, try taking Iyengar yoga classes to learn more deeply about alignment and prop usage. The more perspectives you can gain from the different offerings of yoga, the more knowledge you have the opportunity of embodying. This will grow your overall understanding of yoga, and of yourSELF.
I could do all the handstands I wanted but it wasn’t until I did an entire weekend dedicated to pranayama and restorative yoga that I learned what true relaxation was within the practice.
