3 Tips to get back after a Yoga Break

We may relinquish our routines & push aside our plans. So much so, that even the things that we know are beneficial for us (like a yoga practice) may sometimes be the ones we let slide away.

It can happen for various reasons like – resting after an injury, taking time off for family, work needing more attention, a big life event or recovering from an illness to name a few.

Let’s be honest, life happens & for whatever reason you may take a break from your Yoga Asana Practice (we’ve all had good reasons lately) & for however long you’ve been away, it can seem a little daunting to get back to the mat again.

I’ve seen these days too …. In my previous blog posts I’ve written about how I felt when I took a break and what it felt like to get back to my practice.

Here are a 3 tips to help you get back to your mat –

1. Start Small:

It is helpful to remember that practice doesn’t have to be a full blown 60 minute sequence or a physical asana practice.

You can experience the same benefits by just showing up on your mat and starting with a seated breathing & centering meditation practice. Maybe do a few stretches & if that feels great, do a few Suryanamaskars / Sun Salutations.

You could choose to start with a 10-15 minute practice, I have a guide up on my Instagram to choose from a variety of resources. Build up the duration and intensity of your practice over a period of time, your teacher can help you with this.

2. Choose Consistency over Quality:

Allow your body and mind to ease into the practice by showing up regularly on your mat. Injuries occur when we dive right in & expect our body to do what it was doing before we took a break.

“ Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action,

which makes it the architect of accomplishment.”

– Zig Ziglar

The more we practice continuously, the more likely we are to fall into habits.

A regular yoga practice with just 60-70% of your effort is an incredible way to prevent aches and pains. With time & consistent effort, the body and mind will be eased into getting back to what they were doing before. Be it strength, endurance, mobility or flexibility, allow yourself the time and space to build up to where you were when you left off.

3. Have a Beginner's Mind:

When you return to your practice it could swing 2 ways – a) you might fall in love with it all over again or

b) it might not feel as relaxing and juicy as it used to be; as if your body does not remember what flexibility means, let alone the names of the asanas or the sequence.

When we come back to our practice after a break, our mind is open to new ideas, we are ready to experience some familiar sensations & some new ones and, the body is eager to release weeks or months of built up physical and emotional tension.

So when we show up with a beginner’s mind, we are able to form new neurological pathways and patterns of movement. We are able to find a deeper connection with ourselves and have more meaningful realizations of the workings of our mind. You’ll rediscover your mind, body & yoga practice; like watching a re-run of your favorite TV show or reading a book all over again. You’ll enjoy the parts that you liked and re-discover parts that you missed before. You’ll find more clarity in some aspects and some will take on a whole new meaning.