Keeping Yourself Motivated With Yoga Whilst In Isolation

At Kaya, we acknowledge that there really is, nothing else quite like the joy of lockdown laziness. No hectic commute to and from work, no hours wasted in traffic, no obnoxiously early alarms. With so many commitments being cancelled, work slowing down, and quite frankly – no ‘real’ reason to move from bed all day, we can certainly relate to the joy of ‘doing less’. 

However, when you notice that entire days have gone by and all you’ve done is stayed on the couch all day, you might start to feel sluggish or a sense of cabin fever from not moving your body enough. 

At Kaya, even though we acknowledge all fitness clubs and gyms are closed, we recommend still trying to stay active and keep up your yoga routine during this time of global lockdown. Because, let’s face it – maintaining a home yoga routine is one of the best things you can do to stay active, calm, focused, and (not to mention sane) during times such as these. 

Yoga Prahran goes far beyond the poses you do on the matt. It helps you maintain a sense of wellbeing, harmony, and positive thinking (and we all know keeping positive in times such as these can be a challenge), and it is one of the most effective therapies for those seeking a holistic approach to health and wellness.

So, if you are looking for ways to stay motivated – keep reading – we have a bunch of helpful tips to get you off the couch in no time! 

• Wear work-out clothes

Science says that the clothes we wear affect our behaviour, attitudes, mood, confidence, and even the way we interact with others. This is because of the symbolic meaning that we (as a society) ascribe to different types of attire and what they mean to us. 69% of people claim that wearing work-out clothes helps push them to exercise. 

Choosing to wear leggings and a tank top for the day might actually be able to give you the mental-shift you’re looking for, and put you in ‘yoga’ mode rather than ‘staying in bed all day’ mode. 

• Set up your yoga space 

The good news is – you don’t necessarily need to leave home in order to achieve that overwhelming sense of bliss you feel as soon as you walk into your favourite yoga studio. Whether it be the dim lighting, the smell of the scented candles, the salt lamps, or the peaceful music, there is a lot of things that go into creating the warm energy a yoga studio provides. 

The first step is finding a space in your home that is large enough to move around in. Ensure the space is decluttered, making sure all items in the space are contributing to its beauty or function. Remove anything that doesn’t serve either purpose and design your space to suit your specific needs. 

You might want to create a small altar with candles, or even just a plant, to help create a sense of serenity. You would be surprised at what something as simple as a salt lamp can achieve in spaces such as these.  Whatever you do, make sure it’s a space that you simply can’t work past without wanting to roll out your mat. 

• Make sure you have at least some (or all) of the necessary yoga equipment

In order to get the most you can out of your yoga Prahran class, we recommend having as many yoga props as possible. A mat is a definite necessity, however, if you don’t have one, you can always use a towel or something similar. 

Yoga blocks and straps are great to have in your practice, to assist you in some of the poses. The good news is – you can always use some books as blocks, and rope or a tie as a strap. We recommend bringing cushions and blankets into the space to not only assist in certain poses but also get the most you can out of Savasana (which let’s be honest, is one of the best parts of a yoga class). 

• Develop a yoga routine

With all this time on our hands and not much to do, developing a daily routine is essential in surviving a lockdown. In fact, weeks of social distancing and pandemic restrictions have shown people how meaningful it can be to have a daily routine. Not only does it create some structure in your otherwise relatively structureless days, but it also can help you avoid boredom or moments of sitting around scrolling through social media for hours because you don’t know what else to do. 

To maintain a sense of security and familiarity, it might be useful to try to make your routine as similar as possible to your typical one. Whenever it is you usually practice yoga Prahran, it might be a good idea to roll out your mat at home at the same time. If not, consider your body clock and time schedule to find a time that suits you and your other commitments. 

Usually, the first thing in the morning is a great time to practice, as it’s the perfect way to start your day and get into your body. If not, any time is better than no time. We recommending carving out 30 minutes to an hour each day, where you commit to rolling out your mat and practicing your home yoga class.  

• Use Kaya Yoga @ Home workouts

At Kaya, whilst we won’t be seeing you at our studio in Melbourne, we are keeping our students and followers motivated and energized during this time of self -solation through offering online ‘Kaya at Home’ yoga classes. 

The good news is – no two yoga classes are the same! We pride ourselves on ensuring every single class is completely unique – to help you all shake off all the cabin fever and keep things fresh and exciting!

Either way, we recommend following an online yoga class of some sort, to ensure you are still learning from a professional yoga instructor. Even though you will be learning through a screen, receiving their guidance, and being able to mimic their technique within each pose, really does make all the difference. 

• Monitor progress 

Monitoring your progress can be one of the most exciting things about developing any kind of regular yoga routine. Whether you want to take images once a month of you in certain poses, or just keep a mental note of your flexibility levels throughout the journey, one thing’s for sure – you certainly WILL notice progress. There is no better feeling than realising you can finally touch your toes, or reach that little bit deeper in each stretch.

About the Author

Demi fell in love with yoga when she travelled to India when she was 20 years old. She loved the feeling of bliss she experienced both during and after class, and how that feeling would stay with her throughout her day. It was also in India, that Demi learned how much she loved to write about her travels. She believes that stories have power. They delight, enchant, touch, teach, recall, inspire, motivate, challenge. They help us understand. They imprint a picture in our minds. This led her to her job as a Content Writer. She loves helping businesses tell stories. Especially when the stories involve educating readers on the endless benefits of yoga and Pilates- two of her most loved fitness regimes