#yogaeverydamnday?

I have a teeny confession to make. Is it even really a confession? Possibly - it depends what you have come to expect from your yoga teachers. 

To go back a step...

I never wanted to be a yoga teacher (that's not the confession but seeing it written down makes it sound like one!). No, I always loved yoga, loved the practice and adored trying out as many different classes and teachers as I could fit in - some I loved, some I hated. Throughout it all though, it never came onto my radar that I might ever be the one stood at the front of the class guiding the practice. In my eyes, I wanted my yoga teachers to be yogi's. To live and breathe the practice, knowing all aspects and history of yoga inside and out. 

I think this kind of idea stuck with me possibly right up to the morning I began my yoga teacher training - I walked into the studio already feeling like a fraud, I was gonna be busted any minute and as soon as they realised I was still learning my mantras from my mudras they would throw me out of there (probably whilst walking on their hands and reciting the full Ashtanga series in Sanskrit). 

Then came the realisation as I looked around the room that yoga teachers did not have to conform to any particular stereotype. They didn't have to be spiritual, or a hippy, or frankly even flexible. There is no one-size-fits-all yoga teacher and there is no right or wrong way to go about your teaching or your practice. 

Which brings me back to my confession....

Life is hard. Life is busy. Stuff tends to happen and as much as I love to use the hashtag on Instagram, unfortunately I do not practice #yogaeverydamnday. Generally it's #yogasomeofthetimearoundalltheotherthingsthatenduptakingpriority. 

There is no excuse. In fact, time is my most hated excuse of them all (if you want to do something, you make time for it) and with a beautiful studio at my disposal I should be spending hours revelling in it's 9x5m spacious glory. The only thing I can put it down to is that being a teacher and studio owner almost makes it too accessible. You know, those situations when you can do something whenever you like so you end up not actually doing it at all? I'd liken it to living super close to some big tourist attraction and never actually going because you know you could go at any time (I say this from experience having grown up in Warwick but barely ever going to the castle...maybe it's just me?!).

Whatever the reason, it's time to set some summer resolutions and up my yoga game, not least because I know my body, mind and sanity will thank me in just a few short weeks of a more regular practice. Just 5 minutes a day of stopping to pay attention to your breathing can have incredible effects so imagine what a deeper practice could do. 

I know full well that my accountability can be awful, which is why I'm putting this out there and asking you to join me....

Let's do yoga every damn day. 

There are no rules - practice as much or as little as you like. Some days it might be 50 minutes, other days it might just be 5. Whether you want to get your flow on or just sit in a short meditation, the choice is yours. Logistics shouldn't be a hurdle either - you can get your daily practice in a class or at home; for those of you not sure where to start will this, I'll share some tips and tricks for a home practice along the way. I'll try and get some thoughts and stories from our teachers about their practice and what works for them too (they don't know this yet...surprise if you're reading!).

It would be great to see how you get on as well - post on our Facebook wall, send us a message or comment below. You'll learn a bit from us, but you'll learn more from each other. This isn't a chore or a challenge, it's about helping yoga fit in as a part of your life. 

I thought about putting a time limit on this (they say 21 days makes a habit) but I decided it's not about a short term goal or ticking the box to say you've done it. Hopefully in time (probably not very much!) you'll realise the incredible impact taking this time for yourself can have. You don't have to do yoga every day for the rest of your life, but this is a wonderful opportunity to get a taste of what a regular practice (big or small) can do for you - and stuff like this is always more fun with friends.  

If you miss a day or 7, who cares...just come back to your mat when you're ready knowing that each time you do, you're giving your soul a little hug. 

So who's with me?

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Courtenay is the owner & director of Warrior & Wild & can mostly be found hanging around the studio, training in the gym or geeking out in books somewhere. Influenced by the logical & mechanical elements of her engineering background & her love of learning, she aims to treat each class as an education & hopes to leave all of her students with a greater awareness of how they move, both on & off the mat. 
For private or group class enquiries (or just to say hello!) connect with Courtenay via Facebook, drop her an email at info@warriorandwild.co.uk.