January Plan: Practice Yoga Three Times Per Week

The goal for January was to practice yoga regularly, three times per week.

Why yoga?

I find that some people often misrepresent yoga as “a good stretch.” If you’re a veteran yogi, you know this is not the case. Yes, there are restorative classes that allow for a good stretch, but if you are in a serious flow, it can kick your butt and make you sweat. If you’re in hot yoga, that sweat turns into a torrential detox.

Yoga is not for sissies.

The health benefits of yoga are plentiful. Studies show that regular practice can reduce anxiety and chronic pain, can help with brain function and energy, and can reduce stress. And of course, regulating all of those things can help regulate blood pressure.

Before this journey, I had used yoga to alleviate my own pain in the past, so I already believed in its power to heal. But this time, my husband decided to join me.

This is important because there’s some research that suggests working out with a partner is beneficial. I’m sure, if you’ve been working out for a long period of time, you’ve experienced this on your own, without even thinking about the science behind it. 

Don’t get me wrong. Solo workouts are great. Especially a good Angry Run. But when you’ve been in lockdown in your home FOR THIRTY YEARS, sometimes you need someone to help motivate you to put down the popcorn and Red Vines and step away from the Gilmore Girls marathon.

If you remember from The Plan post, there are measured ways to form habits, according to the British Journal of General Practice.:

1. Decide on a goal that you would like to achieve for your health.
2. Choose a simple action that will get you towards your goal which you can do on a daily basis.
3. Plan when and where you will do your chosen action. Be consistent: choose a time and place that you encounter every day of the week.
4. Every time you encounter that time and place, do the action.

So the plan is to:

1. Decide on a goal: Practice yoga three times per week
2. Choose a simple daily action that moves you toward the goal: Set daily alarm on phone
3. Plan a consistent when and where you will perform the action: 5 pm, after work, in our bedroom
4. Do the action. This is the hard part, isn’t it?

See the results here:

January Results: Yoga