At the start of 2021, I began doing yoga every day. At first, I only planned to do it for 30 days, but during that initial period, I expanded my practice. How did I manage to do this from home? As a beginner, I turned to Yoga with Adriene on YouTube. Previously, I had done yoga a few times. I even attempted a 30-day challenge at one point in 2019, but other commitments prevented me from completing it. In the beginning, it was more challenging than I had anticipated. Four months ago, I wasn’t the most flexible person, and that was my main goal with all of this. To my surprise, it made a huge difference. For me, every day didn’t have to be a specific time or intensity; as Adriene says, just showing up on the mat is enough. My goal is to continue this habit until the end of the year, and possibly even longer. I’m excited to continue experiencing this journey.

So, what results have I seen so far? As previously mentioned, I’m a lot more flexible, and I feel more at home in my body since it’s less rigid. Of course, different types of yoga give slightly different results, but the mix of types I practice has made me stronger in terms of muscle definition. Becoming stronger also makes you move with more precision. There is also a mindfulness aspect to yoga, which should not be underestimated. It’s difficult to measure or estimate how it affects mood, but let’s just say that there’s a slightly positive difference. The only downside to this is that it can be challenging to carve out half an hour to forty minutes every day. At one point, I had a cold, which made showing up to practice feel more difficult. But in the end, I showed up on the mat and did some very light yoga for that week. One of the best things about yoga is its versatility. It can be whatever you want it to be: flexibility, strength, mindfulness, etc., or a combination. One thing I did not anticipate before starting was how much my posture would improve. I believe this is a function of better core strength and being more mindful of posture in general.

I tried to implement this habit by taking inspiration from the book Atomic Habits. Doing a little bit every day gives huge results in the long run. The improvement compounds. Going forward, I’m combining yoga with running. The plan is to do yoga every day and go running a few times a week. I still feel like I have a lot to learn about yoga. It’s a gradual process, and it takes time. If you want to start doing yoga every day, I would recommend starting with one of the 30-day challenges on YouTube. There are lots of great options. Also, think about sensation over how the pose looks and give it time. Be patient. Personally, I keep my mat rolled out on the floor most of the time since I practice every day. It also serves as a reminder and makes it easy to start. Consider what you want to achieve and why. Best of luck!