Spring time motivation- creating positive routines and habits

​Spring is the time to get motivated and start creating positive routines for health and wellbeing. We often feel so much better with the sun shining and weather warming. It’s a natural cycle of seasons – in Winter we eat heavier, richer food, tend to put on extra kilos to keep warm, and are less inclined to get outside and get moving. Spring provides a sense of new beginnings, a time of natural detox when the body wants to shed the extra weight, shift toward lighter food and begin to exercise more in preparation for the warmer weather.

It’s not easy to suddenly switch out of Winter sluggishness, particularly when the weather is still cool! We need to do some things to build our motivation! Here are some of my tips:

• Remember : Yoga always makes you feel good. After class recently a student said to me you never say, “I wish I didn’t come to yoga”. Even when she knew she wanted to sit in front of the fire in her trackies she came to yoga anyway and felt so much better for it. So if you ever start doubting yourself, or self sabotaging, remind yourself of this phrase. Remind yourself of how you feel during and after savasana.
• make yourself accountable – book yourself into class, put it in your diary as a non negotiable commitment. That’s why having a 10 week yoga course is better than purchasing a casual pass.  A casual pass does not cultivate a mindset of being a dedicated committed yogi who wants to reap the benefits.
• know that a routine takes time so discipline is a key factor in making ourselves feel good. If we can't find the discipline, we wont see the results.
• set an intention and goal for yourself - perhaps in ten weeks I want to move more freely in my body, I want my jeans to fit better or see a change in the way I sleep, then write down how you will achieve that in concrete, practical steps. In my previous life as a Project Manager, we use SMART goals to help map out the way to reach the goal, and understand when we have reached it:

Specific – what is it you want to achieve? How will you do this?
Measurable – what is the measure of reaching your goal? how will you know you have reached it?
Attainable – be realistic in what you can achieve within the timeframe you set. Start small to set yourself up for success. Think about time, money and effort then work out what fits with your life.
Relevant – setting a heart felt intention is key. If your goal is not in alignment with your heart and where you want to head then it will be difficult to achieve.
Timely – give yourself a schedule with check in points to re-evaluate along the way, to note and celebrate your progress.

Without discipline, routine and regularity we will not achieve the goals and we will not experience the full benefit of a regular yoga practice. Once we set up the habit and begin to notice that we feel better physically, emotionally and mentally, then intrinsic motivation kicks in – this is what carries us forward and onward. It becomes an essential part of our life as sleeping and eating.

It takes effort to get to this point but it is completely worthwhile.
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To support your health and wellness goals I look forward to seeing you on the mat.