Habits are magical little things.
Okay, fine, so they’re not really ‘magic,’ if you want to get technical. But they are freakin’ powerful. And life-changing, and soul-saving, and the literal key to success at whatever it is you want to achieve in this life.
Maybe you’ve heard such quotes or expressions as “Your habits determine your future” (Jack Canfield) or “Change your habits, change your life.” (Etc, etc – there are many variations of these out there!) And if you’re anything like I used to be, maybe you rolled your eyes and moved along, not truly understanding how these phrases could help you in the slightest. Sound about right? If so, just stay with me…
…because I eventually put my cynicism aside and learned that building small but powerful habits really does have the power to help you take control of your well-being, your emotions, and to drive you forward in the most powerful way. And I think you have to experience it, to really believe it.
Yoga was the catalyst (but not right away!)
I’ve been practicing yoga for many years. Meaning I was probably like, 15, the first time I stepped into a yoga class, at my local YMCA. So, suffice to say I have known for awhile that yoga could make me feel good. But that didn’t magically fix all of life’s problems (spoiler alert: there is no magic wand!) It didn’t mitigate the mental health struggles I would face in my teen years; it didn’t help me magically become a morning person; it didn’t suddenly give me the clarity or patience to navigate interpersonal relationships & challenges; it didn’t even make me want to go to that fitness facility and practice or ‘exercise’ all the time.
Until eventually, it did.
I ventured in and out of yoga for many years. Coming and going from the practice. Dropping into various group classes, making it part of my ‘fitness’ regimen (this was, of course, part of my problem: I hadn’t yet discovered that yoga was about more than the physical practice, and so – growing up in a generation where exercise was seen almost exclusively as a way to get skinny – I kept showing up when I wanted a ‘workout.’ But, I digress…)
For years, I knew it made me feel a little better, a little more balanced, and by my early twenties, I could feel that my mental health was stronger when I was going to yoga classes a couple of times a week. I even started to practice a little bit at home, rolling out my mat in the basement and stringing together a few poses to stretch out my body when I couldn’t make it to the gym. But still, I didn’t really understand how to leverage this into more of those good feelings.
Fast forward to my first yoga teacher training course! This is when I really committed to the practice, and learned the power a few minutes can have over your whole day.
Sidenote: you don’t have to become a yoga teacher to take control of your life, or to use the power of yoga to build life-enriching success habits!
By my mid-twenties, I was becoming more and more fascinated with the yoga practice, and learning more complicated postures like handstands and arm-balances. I wanted to keep learning more and more, and decided to enroll in a 200 hour yoga teacher training program at a local studio.
On the first day of the training, which would span ten months, the teacher instructed us to begin a daily practice. Yes, daily. As in, 7 days a week.
I was in disbelief! How on earth would I find the time to do that?
The funny thing is, even though she explicitly told us “I want you to start with a 5 minute quiet sit every day,” I still couldn’t grasp it. I don’t think I understood that 5 minutes could actually amount to anything.
But 5 minutes is more effective than zero!
I stuck with it. Of course I missed days! I missed tons of days, especially in the beginning. But I eventually learned that doing a little, when I couldn’t do a lot, was better than doing nothing. Eventually – and I’m obviously paraphrasing here, because there was plenty of hardship and frustration – but eventually, I had established a morning yoga practice that consisted of some combination of moving, breathing and sitting in stillness for at least 30 minutes as I began my day.
And slowly but surely, I felt a shift. I felt a shift in my energy – I could be more energized, and more calm, as I needed. I felt a shift in my consciousness – meaning, I became more aware of what was working for me, and what wasn’t (whether that be diet, people, practices, routines, etc.) I felt a shift in my level of patience & compassion, and how I showed up with & for others in my life.
And I started to realize I could take this energy, this philosophy of “5 minutes is better than zero” and apply it to other places in my life. This is truly how I learned to create habits that are healthy and that serve me, and how I stick to these habits when it gets hard (because yes, it does still get hard!)
Now, I commit to, and track, several healthy habits each day – some centered around the tools of the yoga practice (like a minimum of 5 minutes of meditation), and some not so much (like making sure to take my vitamins!) All of these habits help me to stay on top of not only my physical and mental wellbeing, but also to create opportunities for learning and self-development, and to work towards any goal I may have.
Yes, yoga was the catalyst for living my healthiest life and finally – finally! – building healthy habits that support the way I want to live, and the way I want to feel.
And it can be for you, too.
No fancy certificate needed. All it takes is time, perseverance, patience, and a willingness to grow.
Start with 5 minutes, and see where it takes you. After all: 5 minutes is better than zero!
Please feel welcome to reach out (on socials, by email, or using my contact form) if you’d like to chat more about this topic. If you are curious at all about how yoga might be just what you need to reach your goals, let’s have a conversation – I am here for you!
And be sure to follow along for next week’s post, where I will discuss the most critical 15 minutes of my daily routine!
With all my love,
-MT