Has your yoga practice gotten stale, boring, or uninspired? Do you visit the same studios, study with the same teachers, practice the same old poses time and time again? You could just make an effort to mix it up, go to a new class, try out a new studio, and learn something new. OR you could follow my five magical tips to having more fun with your yoga practice:
1. Try a pose that looks impossible—like a really REALLY crazy arm balance. Then laugh at yourself for failing miserably. (I’m trying to adapt this attitude toward challenges in my life, too!)
2. Practice outside. Be careful not to unroll your mat in doggy doo.
3. Play the Word of the Day game. Find a word or phrase your yoga teacher says over and over again, “That’s BEAUTIFUL!” is a good one. Then, every time he says it let out a deep Lion’s Breath. It can be your own inside joke or if you let a friend in on it so it can be like a drinking game, but with YOGA. What could be more fun that that?
4. Speaking of drinking games… have you ever done yoga as a party trick? Having a little wine before you practice does make things more interesting. But a word of advice: Wine and inversions do NOT mix. I speak from experience.
5. Make up ridiculous names for the poses and/or actions. How do you think those Anusara folks came up with Wild Thing and the concept of “Floint”-ing? They might say they were trying to come up with a way to teach an action, I think they were probably just amusing themselves. 🙂
What do you do to spice up your practice when it gets boring?
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1. I read your blog
2. I whip out my Light on Yoga and find the craziest contortion and try it (thankfully I haven't broken or torn anything)
3. I then take that crazy contortion and make into something I can teach.
Um, what is "floint"-ing????
To be honest, one time I did Bikram poses while tipsy (and in a cold room no less). Supposedly a big no-no… but I held a balancing pose better than I had in class that day. And I feel like (don't think this is fact) my pose got better after that. I'm sure it was all in my mind… but it sure was fun. And impressive as a party trick lol.
For me its the music. I have maybe two dozen playlists on my Ipod that can get me going and by switching around it keeps things fresh.
Playlist include Dessert Dosha, Hintastic, Kirtan Krazy (some of the more lively sets) Hot Yoga (middle eastern rock) and more reflective sets Slogoyo, Yogamind, Medi-soft. And thats just a few
I do like item 2 though, I need to take the mat outside once I get the OK. I have three acres of pine forest and why I haven't tried that eariler escapes me.
I love item 2 too. When I drove cross country I would do Sun Salutes in the grass areas sans mat…it made the drive so much better.
Meredith,
A "floint" is a flex and a point at the same time. It's like Barbie's foot.
Anna, I think arm balances are easier when I haven't already exhausted my arms with a million Chaturangas, too! But maybe we're the only two? I wonder if beer goggles make our poses more attractive, too… or if that just works on people?
Frenzy, Music! Yes! I don't know why I didn't think of that one! And more yoga outside … as soon as it stops raining…
Ah yes, the Barbie foot, now that is a term I use. Men in my class usually giggle when I say it. Or look confused.
Here after following a retweet on twitter. Great blog.
I do a variation of Trikonasana that I wonder should have another name…
Suburbanasana?
i have enjoyed doing yoga outside in the sun
Hi Rachel,
I'm glad you stopped by! I like Suburbanasana! It inspired my next post. 🙂
Carrie,
I love the idea of it, but have never REALLY found a place private enough to do it without feeling really weird. Some day.