7 Ways to Incorporate Yoga into Your Everyday Life

Warum Yoga nicht nur auf deiner Matte stattfindet.

5 min

By Franzi Orthey
February 28, 2022

Why trust us?

With all the hectic chaos and stress we cope with in our everyday lives, we all long for a little more balance, harmony, and equilibrium. Yes, a little more yoga wouldn’t hurt either. If it weren’t for the time… Because we never have time in our daily lives, or at least we don’t take it. Probably because most of us think it takes a lot of time to practice yoga every day. But you can get that good feeling even without a full session, even a few minutes can make a difference. And there are so many ways to practice yoga and make it part of your daily life.

Yoga is much more than the practice on the mat. Yoga is a lifestyle and a philosophy, a way of living life. That’s exactly why it’s all about taking the (inner) attitude you practice on the mat into your everyday life. Once you understand this, you start to see how yoga can play a role in many places in your daily life. So you don’t always have to roll out your mat to practice more yoga either.

Also worth a read: 10 Surprising Ways to Use Exercise for Stress Relief.

#1 Karma yoga: Good deeds

Doing a good thing can be so simple – and still make you incredibly happy. In ancient scriptures, karma yoga is described as an essential part of the yogic path. It’s about selfless action, doing things without personal gain or expecting anything in return. Sometimes all it takes is a smile. Maybe a few loving words, a letter, or a sincere thank you, it doesn’t have to change the world. Your family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances all benefit from the little things as well. Of course, you can also support larger projects by donating or volunteering and boost your karma that way.

One more tip: Simple homemade baked goods, such as our chocolate protein muffins, are an easy way to spread the joy.

#2 Be more mindful

Everyone talks about mindfulness, but what does it actually mean? Can you remember the last time you just sat somewhere for a minute? When was the last time you closed your eyes to smell, listen, and just notice everything? Yes, that is mindfulness. Doing nothing but being in the moment. Without distractions, without any multi-tasking. So you become more present and much more sensitive to what’s going on in and around you. This also helps you in your daily life. Instead of overwhelming your brain with multitasking, you learn to center yourself. You stay more focused and concentrated. There are many exercises for this. Try taking a mindful breath, closing your eyes, and observing your breathing. By the way, even just putting your phone away and devoting yourself to just doing one thing and one thing only can also be a wonderful mindfulness practice.

Looking for more ways to reduce stress in your everyday life? We’ll show you 9 helpful tips to help bring you to a calmer place.

#3 Be satisfied with less

We live in a time of abundance, and still we always want more. Sometimes we’re even afraid of not having enough or not getting something anymore. But let’s be honest with ourselves – does it have to be like that? No. Does this state of mind make you happy? NO. In most yoga practices, the motto is less is more. Aparigraha, non-attachment, is what we should focus on instead of accumulating things. The path to happiness lies in letting go of any dead weight and asking yourself again and again, do I really need this? That doesn’t mean you should part with all your favorite things, just clean out whatever you no longer need. The same goes for new things. Choose to buy and keep less, become more minimalist, and reflect on how it feels so much freer to have less. But how do you really go about doing that? Check out our 7 steps to organize your life!

#4 Practice gratitude

Spend two minutes thinking of things you’re grateful for. You’ll soon find that the time just flies by. Because once you start, two minutes is never enough. Suddenly, a small moment of gratitude becomes a whole fireworks show, flooding your heart with a deep sense of happiness. Yes, that’s yoga, too. Seeing the little things that make you truly rich. Gratitude is an important part of yoga that you can easily incorporate into your daily life. It’s wonderful to combine it with a morning or evening routine, but you can also practice it over and over throughout the day. Want to take it a step further? Instead of just thinking about it, write down your thoughts and collect them in a gratitude journal.

#5 Create routines

Routines don’t have to be complicated; they just have to have become such an integral part of your everyday life at some point that you don’t have to think about them. They provide structure, stability, and make your mind feel calmer. In yoga, it is believed that a certain uniformity and regularity can help you become more serene. This can be a morning or evening sequence on your yoga mat or breathing exercises, meditations, or walks as daily routines. If you feel overwhelmed at first, get started with weekly rituals like a Sunday breakfast of fresh Pancakes. No matter how you create it, this time for yourself is also a kind of self-care.

#6 Don’t be so hard on yourself

This one goes out to your inner critic. The voice inside you that always finds something to complain about. Nothing is good enough and everything could always be better. Most of the time we are our own biggest critics and can get really good at putting ourselves down. Put an end to it. More yoga in your everyday life also means more compassion for yourself. Praise yourself more often, be less critical, and don’t judge yourself. No one said this is always easy, but if you practice it, it’ll get easier. Observe how you talk to yourself. Forgive yourself when things don’t go your way. Be honest about how much you can give right now and don’t force things that aren’t good for you. And a quick reminder: You’re doing wonderfully. And for when you feel your self-doubt start to take over, here’s 7 simple ways to boost your self-esteem.

#7 Sing and dance

Yoga is always silence, stillness, and reflection? NO! Yoga is also joy, happiness, and lightness. If you haven’t sung out loud in a while, try it right now. Turn up the music, dance and sing and laugh! Music has always been a great way to fight against gloom and bad moods. This is mainly due to the sounds that have a harmonizing effect on your body. Yogis use special chants, so-called mantras, for this purpose. But your favorite song can also work wonders. And as long as you feel a little boost of happiness when you sing it, you’re on the right path.

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