How To Get The Most Out Of Your Yoga Sessions

Yoga is a workout for your mind, body and soul, and its practice can take many forms. Whether you’re taking classes several times a week or following along with a YouTube tutorial at home, yoga has countless benefits that are just waiting to be taken advantage of.

No matter what yoga looks like for you, there are always small ways you can tweak your practice to get more out of the experience. Here are the ways to get the absolute most out of your yoga sessions.

Practice At Home

Most of us get our start in yoga by attending classes, which are a great way to be guided through those early days and grow your confidence. While practising yoga at home can feel intimidating if you’ve never done it before, it can be a great way to go deeper inward and engage in a session that works best for you and what you want to get out of the experience.

For your first at-home sessions, go easy on yourself. Stick to simple, basic poses, repeat something you’ve already done in class or follow a video tutorial. Over time practising at home will get easier and easier, and you’ll find yourself on an entirely new level of your yoga journey.

Explore Different Styles

While it’s easy to play it safe and stick with your same yoga instructor teaching the same yoga style, exploring new kinds of yoga can help you continue to grow and challenge yourself.

Every yoga style offers something different, and each instructor can offer you something new. By exposing yourself to all these different kinds of yoga, you can take what you like most from each one and integrate it into your sessions.

Use The Right Mat

Yoga mats have come a long way in the last 15 years, with a variety of options to suit every possible need and preference. The right mat is not only essential in helping you remain stable and get through your session comfortably, but it also needs to be easily storable and transportable.

Many people also want their mats to be sustainable and environmentally friendly, ditching the old-school PVC mats for recycled or repurposed materials. The best yoga mat for you will depend on what you want to get out of practising yoga, so take some time to think about this before investing.

Set an Intention

Setting an intention at the beginning of your yoga session is one of the best ways to stay focused and stay completely in the moment. It gives you a focal point to return to throughout your session and even long after it finishes, and can be a word or phrase that represents your reason for practising.

Avoid Distractions

Yoga is all about staying in the moment, silencing the chatter in your mind and leaving your outside stresses at the door. Simple things like going to the bathroom before you practise, putting your phone away, wearing comfortable clothes and tying your hair back can all help you avoid unwanted distractions.

These may seem like little things, but minor annoyances will stop you from being present in your practice, so get in the habit of avoiding them wherever possible.

Get to Know Your Teacher

With our busy lives, it’s understandable why you’d want to get in and out of class quickly and anonymously. However, getting to know your teacher can make a huge difference in your practice and provide some much-needed inspiration and motivation when you need it most.

Also, if your teacher knows you, your goals and your limitations, they’ll be able to better help and support you in class. Teachers love getting to know their students and connecting with them, so there’s no need to be shy.

Use Yoga Props

Many people feel too self-conscious to use yoga props, thinking that they’re only for beginners or people who can’t perfect their poses. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as many yoga props can help enhance poses for even the most experienced yogi.

If your teacher presents the opportunity to use a prop, take them up on the offer. If you’re practising at home and don’t have your own props, household items like pillows, blankets or towels can make good substitutes.