how to be good at yoga + mindfulness in 7 easy steps

I may have lied to you in the title of this post.

You see, yoga and mindfulness have never been easy for me; in spite of all of my efforts to be “good at” yoga and mindfulness practices, I fail regularly.

You may wonder why I’m spilling this big secret. You’re a yoga teacher, you’re probably thinking. If YOU aren’t good at yoga, is there any hope for me?

Yes. Yes, there is. You see, when people hear I teach yoga, I get three main responses:

• I can’t do yoga. I’m not flexible.

• I could never teach yoga, my brain is anything but calm.

• I don’t do yoga, I’m not good at it.

To all these, I respond, Me, too.

I’m not flexible.

I struggle every time I hit my mat. I am the best in the world coming up with reasons not to do yoga — in fact, sometimes that’s why I teach!

My body is pretty flexible, but half of a yoga practice is the mind/soul (if you’ve met me, you may know that I am stubborn beyond the norm. Flexibility of my mind? 0.)

My brain is not calm.

I remember the first several times I tried yoga. I would struggle the entire class and then lay exhausted on my man, angry, frustrated, and disappointed in myself. I’m not good at this, my brain won’t stop, why do I even try?

My to-do list would play on an endless loop in Savasana; as the teacher said things like “Let your mind be blank,” I would internally respond with a snarky comeback or compare myself to the “hippies” of the yoga community. I will never get this, I would think. What’s wrong with me?

I’m not “good” at it.

Sure, I can get into a lot of bendy poses, but I’m hating every second of it. I remember thinking each class that I was never gonna do yoga again. Why do something I suck at?

I was really missing the point of yoga.…Or, I was learning firsthand what yoga is all about.

As I’ve learned over the last eight years of my journey with mindfulness, the whole point of yoga is the practice. As humans, our brains’ main function is to keep us alive. For centuries, rest, days off, vacation, lots of sleep were privileges only the richest could afford. Our brains are simply not wired to be calm.

Once I realized it wasn’t just a “me” problem, it became a lot easier to keep up a practice.

If you see yourself at all in my story, great! Here are my top seven secrets be “good” at yoga and mindfulness.

1. practice, practice, practice

   Ugh. I know, I hate it too….I really love to show up, master a new skill, and check it off my to-do list.
   

   Anyone relate? Be honest…you’re among friends here.
   

   It took every bit of seven years for me to accept that I needed to practice mindfulness at every opportunity I could find. Being busy, I lived in a world of mindFULL, rather than mindful. That’s why I created my mindful minutes (I post every night on Instagram through Thursday— later if people find it helpful!). Because in just one minute you can receive the benefits of mindfulness!

2. look at the small victories

   I know, it sounds cliche….but it’s life-changing! When we consider how our brains are programmed, even a tiny step to change the pattern is a huge victory. As Neil Armstrong said, “that’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

3. celebrate each step forward

   A step forward in mindfulness may be:

   —doing a mindful minute daily

   —noticing your mind has wandered, and bringing it back gently

   —not beating yourself up for being human

4. acknowledge each step back

   As humans, there will be steps back. Again, we are reprogramming our brains. This takes time, attention, and reps…or practice as we say in yoga 💗

5. ask for support

   I used to compare myself to others in yoga (the tendency is still there, by the way). I thought their brains must be more calm than mine; they must have a zen gene I don’t; there must be something wrong with me for not “getting it.”
   

   My turning point with mindfulness was when a teacher I respected mentioned she hadn’t felt like practicing that morning. My mind was blown. I spoke with her after class to make sure I understood what she said. She empathized with me, sharing her love-hate relationship with mindfulness. Knowing I wasn’t alone in how I felt made such a difference.

6. try different styles

   If you are used to running a million miles a minute, you may like the activity of a power flow class. If you need the opportunity to slow down, a yin class may be your jam. You may need to find a teacher you connect with, or a weekend time slot. Keep an open mind, and keep trying!

7. know that you have everything inside of you to be a “good” yogi

   I thought that if I worked hard, went to a ton of classes, read yoga books, understood Sanskrit, and had the perfect mat and outfit I would be a good yogi.

   Turns out, all I needed to do was keep showing up.

What’s your experience with mindfulness? I want to know; drop me a note!

Namaste