New Year’s Resolutions to Help Deepen Your Yoga Practice
The new year (and a new decade!) is the perfect time to reassess where you’re at and where you’re going in all areas of your life. Fitness is always a top resolution, but so many fail to keep theirs because they aren’t enjoying themselves and they struggle to stay motivated. This 2016 study found that the enjoyment factor was key in sticking to a resolution. If you’re feeling like you’re in a bit of fitness rut and furthering your yoga practice is something you’d like to do in 2020, here are some ideas to get you started — and bring you enjoyment, too.
PERFECT YOUR HANDSTAND
If you aren’t yet happy with your handstand, don’t fret — a lot of things need to come together to result in one: balance, coordination, flexibility, and strength to name a few. To get there, you’ll first need to build up a strong core, power in your arms, and stability in your wrists. Begin incorporating poses that work the same areas or encourage the same skills as a handstand such as boat, plank, and — when you’re ready — an L-shaped handstand against the wall. For a comprehensive 31-day program to help you achieve your first handstand or advance your inversion practice, try Patrick and Carling’s Journey to Handstand series on Alo Moves.
MEDITATE MORE
Meditation is an amazing tool to connect with yourself, de-stress, and take a break from the stimulation of the outside world. If you don’t meditate regularly, you’re missing out on physical and mental benefits such as reduced stress and anxiety, improved sleep, and decreased blood pressure. Studies have even proven that meditation changes your brain. The best part of committing to more meditation is that it doesn’t require a big-time commitment. In only a few minutes per day, you can reap some of the benefits of your practice almost immediately. The key is consistency, whether it occurs daily or a few times per week. For a curated selection of our best meditation classes, try this Mindful Meditation playlist.
UP YOUR CARDIO GAME
As far as aerobic exercise goes, not all yoga is created equal. If you tend to go for more relaxing styles such as yin or restorative yoga, try incorporating some HIIT (high-intensity training) into your workout routine to get the heart-healthy benefits of cardio. Working on your cardio will improve your heart health and boost your endurance, allowing you to feel less winded when you practice yoga. Experience the best of both worlds with Koya Webb’s Yoga HIIT series.
GET STRONGER
Increasing your strength will happen over time as you practice yoga, but if you’re looking for a jumpstart, try incorporating weights into your routine or selecting classes that focus primarily on strength-building. We recommend Dylan Werner’s Total True Strength Challenge series for a 90-day strength program that will progressively yet dramatically transform your strength, endurance, and mobility. Plus, there’s a downloadable workout calendar for every level, from beginner to advanced.
TAKE IT EASY WITH YIN
If you like to push yourself to the limit while you exercise, perhaps you need to focus more on your rest and recovery in the new year. While a high-intensity workout offers several scientifically proven benefits, a restorative practice like yin yoga could be what you’re missing to balance your workout regime. If that sounds like you, try our Yin Is In playlist, featuring a variety of yin-based classes.
What are your health and fitness goals for 2020? Share on Instagram, then tag us @alomoves!