First off, how many articles have you seen with a headline like this? It’s such bait for me to click on! Once I click, the advice is usually centered around yoga asanas (postures) and there is an image of an attractive woman doing some fancy stretch that is out of the realm of possibility for me. Yoga asana improvement is great. However, the improvements I am thinking about for this entry would be the kind that can most massively reduce stress and are not asana-related (except, arguably, number 2;)
1) Come to class 15 minutes earlier. (Sure this isn’t always an option. But if you have the time, just leave earlier. This extra time is so valuable, both in the additional time to RELAX at the studio as well as the calm an early student experiences when encountering traffic or other normal obstacles that would cause stress for a student running late.)
2) Stay in final Savasana (shavasana) longer.
3) If you’re in a partnership, try to prioritize your partner’s achievement of his/her practice over your own.
4) Ask questions in order to learn from the teacher as much as you can. Even if you don’t “like” a teacher, try to gain from whatever experiences that teacher may have to share.
5) ?
What do you think is the MOST important way to improve yoga practice and reduce stress?
Photo courtesy of Ales Krivec