Every Goal Is Achievable – Transform Your Yoga Practice and Your Life!

Feb 5

Every goal is achievable. Seriously.

If you’re like the rest of us, you’ve probably wanted something really bad in your life. Maybe it starts out as wanting an item or material object – … and then it transforms into a way of being or a certain lifestyle.

With either, you can probably see the big picture and the end goal, but sorting out the smaller pieces to that puzzle, and narrowing down the baby steps to get there are a little more challenging.

If we translate that to yoga, maybe the end goal is a really challenging handstand. You can visualize the handstand and how your body should contort into it – … yet there are smaller steps you need to take to prepare yourself and your body before achieving that goal.

Whether it’s on your mat or just in life, you are capable of transformation.

And you are capable of achieving anything.

Let's talk about some ways you can use yoga to transform your life and achieve anything you put your mind to.

Consistency

In yoga, it’s called a practice for a reason. Every time you step onto your mat, it makes a difference. You don’t practice yoga for the first time and instantly nail all the poses – would be nice though, wouldn’t it? It takes time and it takes consistency for your body to build flexibility, strength, and endurance.

And this can translate into all aspects of your life.

You become better, and more efficient at your job through consistency and repetition.
You remain healthy throughout your life by consistently being mindful of the foods you eat and how you treat your body.
You learn a new skill by consistently taking the time to expand your knowledge and practice that skill.
You build up that savings account by consistently contributing to it.

Consistency is easier the longer you do it, but you need to start somewhere, sometime.

Flexibility

Humans are creatures of habit. Which is great, when you’re trying to build up that consistency we just talked about. But because we are creatures of habit, sometimes that also means we become more rigid in our thinking and in our daily behaviors.

This also means we can get locked into a mindset that isn’t necessarily beneficial.

Tricky, I know.

In yoga, the development of physical flexibility through asanas also ends up creating flexibility within the mind.

How?

Because when you’re challenging yourself physically, it’s also a mental game. And interestingly enough, your mind plays a massive role in determining what your body can do physically.

Can you see where I’m going with this yet?

You guessed it. Your mind also plays a massive role in what we believe we are capable of doing in life as well.

If you keep telling yourself, on or off your mat, that you aren’t capable of doing it … then you won’t do it. But similar to developing consistency, baby steps are everything.

Begin with a simple question of “what if…?”

What if… I could do that handstand
What if… I am strong
What if… I at least try this new skill
What if… [insert your baby step here]

Where in your life do you feel you could increase your flexibility?

Let Your Breath Guide You

When you’re fearful, do you find yourself holding your breath?

When you’re anxious, do you notice your breathing becomes more shallow?

We talk more about breathing and breathwork in our last blog post but breath is quite literally life.

And in yoga, it is a constant focus and a reminder.

On your mat, your breath is a key indicator of how you should move, when you should move, and when you should rest. It’s also an aid in how you are able to enter and exit a pose. On every level of you, your breath allows the flow and the movement of everything. It is your fuel.

Off your mat, your breath is a communication piece within yourself. When your breath quickens, your body is communicating something to you about your internal or external environment and how it is affecting you.

And when you pay attention to those communication cues, oftentimes your automatic response is to pause and breathe deeply. This signals your nervous system to release and relax.

In yoga and in life, pay close attention to your breath and the, sometimes subtle, cues your body is signaling to you. You will never guide yourself wrong.

Take Advantage of Transitions

Transitions in yoga are poses that are still active in some way but they either allow you to rest or seamlessly move from one pose to another.

These poses are a great reprieve when you’ve done a thousand sun salutations and you’re over it. But not really over it, you’re just cranky and in need of a break… Know what I mean?

They’re also really helpful when you’re in the flow of your practice and the music hits just right and you want to keep the flow going without a hiccup.

Bam! Transition pose for the win until you can figure out where the heck you’re going next.

Kind of like life.

One minute you’re traveling along your path, minding your business until BAM! Life happens and you need to pivot but things are happening so quickly that you need a minute to pause to figure out where you’re pivoting to.

Sometimes we just need a minute.

To breathe.

To gather ourselves.

To clear our minds to allow guidance to come.

If life is happening too quickly, or if you lost your breath in that yoga sequence, don’t deny yourself a chance to pause, reflect, and adjust.

It’s never a waste of time to be gentle with yourself.

Allow Rest

At the end of every yoga practice is the glorious savasana. Those beautiful final minutes of just laying there. Your body is stretched and lengthened and maybe a bit sore but in the best way… and then you rest. In yoga, savasana is viewed as essential to every practice, and the most beneficial.

But how is it the most beneficial?

Because a lot of times we go, go, go without ever giving ourselves a break – - on the mat and off. Sometimes we become too focused on the end goal or we become too overwhelmed with the stillness and the silence and that little whisper within us that is trying to guide us.

Sometimes … it’s a little scary to listen. This kind of goes back to that creature of habit thing we talked about earlier. Change my ways? Heck no!

But remember this: the voice in your head that is loud and critical and fearful – that's not you.

When you’re in stillness and you hear that little, quiet, and subtle voice that calmly talks to you - that’s you.

So allow that stillness. Allow the rest. And allow that gentle little voice to guide you.

You will never guide yourself wrong.

Your Transformation Starts Today

You can transform your yoga practice and your life with the same techniques and approaches. And it always comes down to simple habits and staying consistent that will allow you to reach that goal, that dream, that lifestyle, that … YOU.

What goals and dreams are you reaching for, and how can you use these simple techniques in your life today? Drop us a comment below.