I think we all can agree that this pandemic has turned all of our plans, big or small, upside down!
Just when you thought, this summer would be the one where you would not only pay that gym membership, but also make use of it, corona had other plans for you!
At least we may all take consolation in the fact that we are all in the same boat, your plans have been disrupted just as much as mine, despite the difference in time-zone, place or workout routine.
I’m someone who loves being at a Yoga Studio, drawing inspiration from my teachers and fellow practitioners is what helps me stay consistent. And in your case, you may miss the grind and sweat shedding atmosphere of the gym, or you may be in a containment zone, which prevents you from running your weekly 10K. In all our cases, our resources have been stripped from us.
Of course, you may say; Yoga needs no equipment, only a mat and a 6ft X 3ft place at home to roll-out that mat, and you will be right to say so! But, we have all had to learn one lesson; and that is to make use of the equipment we have at home. Use a 40-litre water bucket to substitute your not-so-easy-on-the-wallet dumbbells!
With that said, I encourage you to dedicate a few minutes everyday to yoga, and don’t worry, im not here to recommend any meditation! Watch simple YouTube videos for some asanas that will help you with flexibility, with mobility and back strengthening. All of these are extremely important to maintain a healthy phyisique. If you’re used to heavy weight lifting, then you’ll see you find simple movements extremely tricky to do, and this is probable only because of lack of mobility in particular joints and muscle groups. Strength and flexibility should always go hand in hand, and it is important for you to train in the latter as well, and you can now do this in the comfort of your own home, without the fear of any judgement!
If there’s one lesson we have all been forced to learn; it’s how to make use of the stuff at home.
I’ve realised, there is a Workout Spectrum; Those who have managed to stay motivated and keep at it, on one side and those who haven’t managed to keep up with their regimen, on the other
In my case, practicing yoga on the daily, writing about it and teaching has been my saviour, now more than ever! I would not know how to fill up my hours if not for my practice, and its also the only think that manages to keep boredom and frustration at bay.
However, if you’ve found yourself in a slump, unable to find the will to practice movement, then that’s completely acceptable too!
Here’s how I’ve managed to maintain a consistent workout schedule
I have managed to get my loved ones at home Hooked onto Yoga! This has been a huge game-changer, as it keeps me motivated to get on the mat with them. It creates the atmosphere of my very own yoga studio, and we’re always drawing inspiration from each other’s progress, making sure to keep the energy positive.
If you don’t practice any Yoga, and you want a reccomendation of just one Asana to do, then Suryanamaskar is my suggestion. My dad has always had a love-hate relationship with suryanamaskars, but these past few months, with consistent practice, his relationship has become a strictly love-only one! Now, he can’t go a day without practicing at least 6 Suryanamaskars! There are days when I too would rather stay in bed, and even if I do get on the mat, I am yawning my way through most of my asanas, but the minute I start one round of Suryanamaskar, that changes. This dynamic and extremely versatile practice can help increase heart rate, increase blood flow to all parts of the body and lighten your mood. Once you’re done, you’ll see how energised you feel for the rest of the day! It’s essentially one of those movements that sets the tone for how you feel, think and behave for the rest of your day. Give it a shot! I challenge you!\
Setting one target and sticking to it. The key to mastering any practice, is repetition. It is said in Yoga that, you will be the master of any asana only when you’ve done it at least a 1000 times! And that amounts to around two-and a Half years, considering you manage to do it once every single day! No, I’m not suggesting you do the same thing a 1000 times, but I do suggest taking a look at where your weaknesses lie, dig out the areas you need to work on, and make that your target. Your target might be to do one pull-up or even ten, but the point is to do a pull up. And right now, you may not be able to do one, so work on supporting practices that will help you achieve that goal, so in the above case, that might be your core strength, your arm strength etc. You will find, that by doing these practices to achieve your one goal, you will also be able to do other things that previously would’ve seemed impossible! What an added bonus! Maybe you can do more pushups now, or you might even be able to do 15 pull-ups when your goal was to do only 10! My goal has been to hold a forearm stand, and after years of falling over, I can now manage a good 15 second hold because I stuck to my targets!
Practice Awareness. This is something that is obviously easier said than done, and the only form of workout that teaches how to practice awareness with movement, is Yoga. Awareness is the simple act of acknowledging what you’re doing, with rotation of the breath along with movement, you will learn to practice awareness. Yoga is said to have healing properties simply because, learning how to use the breath creates the awareness and this is the most powerful self-help tool available. Learning awareness through Yoga will help you in your own preferred choice of workout, help you find weaknesses in the mind and body, help you deal with life today!
After all, without being Mindful, this pandemic will affect you. Remembering to wear your mask, carry your sanitiser, maintain social distancing, and practicing self-hygiene routines, all require one thing : MINDFULNESS.
It is really that simple! Practice Yoga, Practice Mindfulness, and in todays crazy world, that might actually help prevent the spread of this virus and help save a life,
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