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Do you ever find yourself constantly giving to others while neglecting your own well-being? As a yoga instructor in Greenwich, Connecticut, just outside New York City, I was in that exact position—teaching the benefits of yoga to others without prioritizing my own practice. I observed how my students would enter class feeling stressed from work or other activities, only to leave afterwards with a calm, grateful aura. I desired that same transformation for myself. If you’re seeking ways to reduce stress, boost flexibility, and improve your overall well-being, read on to learn about my experience committing to a daily yoga practice for a month.
The Science Behind Yoga’s Transformative Power
Yoga is effective in soothing the nervous system, making you less reactive and more composed, less likely to jump to anger. By focusing on perfecting poses and connecting them to your breath, it quiets the mind. You become aware of how tense muscles relax with each exhale, you immerse yourself in the practice, tune into the music, and are encouraged to release, flow, stay present, and show gratitude, all while not dwelling on your to-do list or sources of stress. The culmination of a relaxed mind, deep breathing, and loosened muscles results in a complete body transformation.
What a Daily Practice Really Means
Individuals are more inclined to stick with yoga practices they enjoy the most. If you prefer Yin yoga with gentle, restorative movements, then that’s the path you should follow. For those who thrive in hot yoga with dynamic Vinyasa sequences, that’s the practice for you. If you appreciate a variety of styles, exploring different studios, videos, instructors, and alternating between calming Vinyasa, invigorating Kundalini, and powerful hot yoga can be an exciting way to cross-train and keep your practice engaging.
It doesn’t matter how long it is, for example, I created a 10-minute yoga flow (and video that I can link to below) that I would do with the Calm app every day. That works great for when you think you just don’t have enough time because you always have 10 minutes. Most people do between 45 minutes and an hour, but some do 75 minutes, and some do half an hour. All that really matters is that you breathe and stretch and clear your mind, and I’ve found that 10 minutes does the trick if you are tight on time. Also, the 10-minute practice is great for after a Boot Camp class or going for a jog.
The 4 Most Dramatic Benefits of Daily Yoga
People realize that they actually do have time to do yoga if they make it a priority and they find out which times of the day work better for them, whether they’re waking up 10 minutes earlier doing it before bedtime or a lunch break or even just setting a date to meet friends at a class. So after the month challenge is over, people tend to do yoga more often, maybe not every day, but they’ve realized that they do have time and they make it a habit.
They also become more flexible and stronger.
Posture is another big thing when you strengthen your upper back muscles through moves like down dog and forearms stand, you are able to stand straighter.
And finally, you’re a nicer person!
Start With an Essential 10-Minute Stretch
I would recommend starting with my 10-minute video because if people are trying to force themselves into an hour a day, they might give up too quickly. Once they start with 10 minutes, they can increase it to half an hour and 45 minutes if the day allows. So on the weekend,s people might do two-hour-long practices, while during the week, they might just do 10 minutes or half an hour.
My 10-minute workout is something I call the Yoga Essential Stretch, where you stretch all the muscles that are important once. That means hamstrings, calves, quads, glutes, outer thighs, your core, your lower back, your upper back, your pectorals, your delts, your triceps, biceps, etc.
Poses include up dog down dog (which stretches the calves and hamstrings as well as the back and strengthens the upper back) with a tricep stretch to reconnect the hands—we call it cow face pose.
Triangle pose stretches hamstrings and hips, side angle pose stretches the inner thighs, pyramid pose is great for the hamstrings.
Quad stretch, moving into dancer for the quadriceps and hip flexors, table top which stretches the shoulders, supine figure four which stretches the glutes and outer thighs.
And of course, Savasana, which stretches the mind, and 8-10 second ujjayi breathing stretches.
For a weekly progression, you can start using blocks and then go to the most basic version of the pose from there without blocks, and then go into the progressions, which are usually deeper.
As for the time of the day, that’s up to the practitioner, but most of the time, you have more energy and time in the morning, whether you have kids, a commute, or anything like that. If you have an early commute, it’s best to do it at lunchtime. If you can do it socially, go to a class after work. If you get home and relax, doing a video at night might be hard to do; however, you can do it in your pajamas in bed! And the poses help stretch things that get tight during the day and the inversions relax your nervous system so you can go to sleep easily.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Yoga
Some people think that they’re not flexible enough so they shouldn’t do yoga or can’t do yoga, but the people that are inflexible are the people that need it the most. Also, it’s common to think, “I don’t have time for that. It’s a waste of my time, and I’m too busy.” Those are also people who need it the most for their minds so they can slow down. Another big mistake is people think they have to do all the arm balances and inversions and flow fast right from the beginning. It’s not about being perfect. It’s not about competition or judgment. It’s your practice in your body, so go at your own pace.
How Yoga Impacts Nutrition and Sleep
Maybe less caffeine when you first start out, but the body will change itself without you forcefully having to do anything. You’ll instantly crave more sleep and get better and deeper sleep, you’ll instantly crave healthier foods.
A Surprising Success Story
One of my clients was hit by a car while jogging, and she had metal in her knee and her wrist—two things you use a lot in yoga. So, she wasn’t finding classes helpful because she had to modify the whole thing and felt self-conscious about it. I created a private yoga program just for her where she didn’t need to use those areas. She used her forearms instead of wrists, and I only did poses with straight knees. It totally transformed her life, eased her depression from the hospitalization, and made her less afraid to move.
Poses to Embrace and Avoid in Your First 30 Days
Things that should be avoided for the first 30 days are any inversions except for legs up the wall and arm balances except for crow. Those will only really come when you’re stronger. For example, arm balances require a lot of pectoral strength so you need to be doing your Chaturanga for a while first. Inversions that require a lot of balance are not great because you could fall and hurt yourself in the first 30 days. Once you start feeling at home in your body and trust it, and your balance improves from the standing poses, then you can start to go upside down.
Tips for Staying Motivated Through the Challenge
People basically just think that they don’t have time or it’s boring, and those people are the ones that need it the most. They should get a partner so they can be accountable and put it in their calendar like a meeting. Also, people who don’t think they’re flexible enough—they also need it as I mentioned. Starting with basic poses like tree and down dog and warrior two will help them feel more confident. And if you enjoyed this article, don’t miss How Long Your Walking Workout Should Be To Shrink Belly Fat.
