Staying Challenged on the Yoga Mat

If you've been practicing yoga for a while, you may feel like you've reached a point where you're comfortable with the poses and movements. This is a great accomplishment, but it's important not to get too comfortable. Staying challenged and stepping out of your comfort zone on the yoga mat can help you continue to grow and evolve as a yogi. Here are some tips to help you stay challenged and continue to positively push yourself.

"Frog" mini sequence to get out of your comfort zone on the yoga mat

1. Explore new styles: There are many different styles of yoga, and each has its own unique approach to the practice. Try exploring different styles to find what works best for you and to stay challenged.
2. Try advanced poses: Once you feel comfortable with the basics, start trying more advanced poses. This will help you build strength and flexibility, and it will also give you a sense of accomplishment.
3. Incorporate props: Using props like blocks, straps, and blankets can help you stay challenged and deepen your practice. They can also help you access new levels of flexibility and strength.
4. Practice with a partner: Practicing yoga with a partner can help you stay challenged and motivated. You can try partner poses and support each other as you work to improve your practice.
5. Set new goals: Setting new goals for your yoga practice can help you stay focused and motivated. Whether you want to achieve a specific pose or simply deepen your practice, setting goals can help you stay challenged and continue to grow.
6. Try different variations of asanas: Once you feel comfortable and safe with the basic poses, try different variations to challenge yourself. This can include trying more difficult variations of a pose, holding the pose for longer, or incorporating different movements or transitions into the pose. This will help you build strength and flexibility, and it will also keep your practice fresh and engaging. 

Last week I had the opportunity to offer you some variations of yoga poses, that easily brought most of the practitioners out of their comfort zone. 
We managed to make challenging asana, considered as relaxing, like Child's pose and Downward facing dog only with a little adjustment on the position of the hands and feet.

​Staying challenged on the yoga mat as an experienced yogi is about pushing yourself to new levels and continuing to evolve. By exploring new styles, trying advanced poses, setting new goals, you can continue to challenge yourself and deepen your yoga practice as well as to train your mind by purposely putting yourself out of your comfort zone in a safe and controlled environment. 

All of these can help you to know yourself better and to stay motivated and inspired, and it can also keep your practice from becoming stagnant.

Do you want to try it? 
Come practice with me - online or offline, it is never boring on the mat with me!

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See you on the mat!