Yoga is, admittedly, not always a high energy activity. Many flock to it for that reason—among other things, like ease of the activity and the meditative focus. But what happens when you start to lose your love of the craft of yoga, and you star getting bored when doing the activity?
If you want to be less bored when doing yoga, consider staying focused on your breathing, keeping your attention on the teacher or routine, doing more research on yoga, make it less of a workout and more of a meditation, change up your instructor or style, practice consistently, or make some other changes in your routine.
If you find yourself yawning during that class or routine, you may find yourself needing some of these tips. Read on to find out more about how you can spruce up your yoga routine—and possibly give you a new focus on learning more about the art of authentic yoga.
Stay focused by practicing your breathing
Yoga isn’t just about working out or stretching—it’s also about the mindset you have when you’re practicing yoga. In order to do so properly, you need to make sure you focus on your breathing. Letting your mind wander is the first step to boredom when you’re practicing yoga, and if you focus on your breathing, you can stay grounded in the present.
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- Keep your attention on the teacher or your yoga routine.
Just like losing focus on your breath, one of the other ways that you can get bored is by not paying attention to your teacher or, if you’re practicing at home or solo, not paying attention to your routine. If you’re entirely focused on what pose you’re doing down to where your hands should be and where your other limbs should be, you won’t have time to consider being bored.
- Do more research on yoga as not just an activity, but a spiritual practice.
There is so much more to yoga than just going to a studio and doing some poses. The over thousand-year history of yoga can be very interesting to learn—and it can spark your interest in the activity once more. If you’re looking to live a more authentic yoga lifestyle, learning more about the process is key. Whether it’s reading up on it online, in a book, or even speaking to someone you know who is living that authentic lifestyle, consider reading more into the practice so you too can be more mindful.
A great source for learning yoga from the start is the original texts by Patanjali. If you want to accept yoga as a lifestyle, these sources can help lead you down that path. If you want to research yoga more and learn about its history, this is also a wonderful way for you to learn directly from the source.
Because yoga can be considered a spiritual practice, this is also a great way to determine what yoga means to you. If it is simply an activity that you like, that is as valid as whether it is a spiritual lifestyle that you integrate into your day-to-day existence. As long as you know exactly what it means to you, that is all that matters—don’t let anyone tell you that you’re wrong or that you’re not living authentically.
- Consider it less of a workout and more of a meditative practice.
Of course, you can still sweat during a yoga class, but change your mindset on what it is really for. If you’re frustrated by a slow moving class, think about it less like that endurance run and more like an exercise for your mind—try to clear your thoughts, focus on how each pose feels, and try to learn to meditate while you practice yoga instead of trying to break a sweat.
Meditation is a strong part of yoga and what you do, and it’s still one of the hardest parts of the activity for many of its practitioners. Practice meditation even outside of the activity to really hone in on what you should be doing and what you should be focused on. It’s also a great way to get in touch with your body and listening to what your body needs.
- Change up your instructor.
One of the easiest ways to get bored or complacent in your yoga journey is finding an instructor that doesn’t do what they need to do for you. This tends to make or break an experience, and if you’re focused on learning something that your instructor isn’t teaching, you may need to shift to someone else.
Your teacher should be focused on your experience and making sure that you’re doing the best you can. While that can be hard when working with a class full of students, it’s not impossible. Strike up a conversation with your teacher and create that relationship, so when you do feel bored, you can bring it up to them candidly and they can make changes. You may find that other people have been feeling the same.
Consider what you want in a yoga teacher, like their pace, their level of difficulty, how much they talk during a class, the sound of their voice, and even their focus on you outside of class. All of these things are items to consider. If you find yourself not meeting your criteria for your existing teacher, it’s time to consider a change.
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- Change up your style.
If you find yourself lacking or bored in your current yoga style, maybe it’s time to shake things up. If you want more of a focus on activity and working out, consider power yoga, Ashtanga yoga, or Vinyasa yoga. For those wanting to be gentler in their yoga routines and focus more on the breath work, consider Yin yoga, Hatha yoga, or Kundalini yoga.
That being said, make sure you’re not overwhelming yourself with several different styles of yoga. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed, and the moment you do that is the moment you step back from the activity altogether. Be wary about changing your style, too, because you may be starting your learning experience over.
- Practice yoga consistently.
If you’re just practicing yoga when you can, it can easily become boring, as you’re thinking about the other things you could be doing at that time. If you fit yoga into your busy schedule regularly, you can find yourself needing that boost during your day. The commitment to completing the activity will make it a permanent and consistent part of your work week, and can help you be less bored. That being said, you should also pace yourself. 10 to 15 minutes of yoga added to your daily routine can help add to that consistency, but if you cannot possibly add time for more, keep it at that.
- If you’re still bored, make some changes.
Even when considering any or all of the steps above, if you still get bored, it’s time to make some changes. To what? You can make changes to anything from where you’re located to when you practice, or even change up your routine or take a different type of yoga class.
If you’re finding a particular teacher boring, maybe it’s time to mix it up and take another teacher’s class. You could learn something new altogether. If you want a more minor change, consider changing your location—you can find a new place in your home or in the yoga studio to really change your perspective.
Additionally, you can change up your routine, especially if you’re practicing at home. The quickest way to boredom is getting too used to your routine, so making sure that you’re practicing different poses can help with that. You can also change the time of day you’re practicing—switch it up and figure out how you can work your schedule around a different class time. Any of these ways can help you reignite that spark for the activity of yoga without taking a step back.
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Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re just starting out doing yoga, you should make sure you have the proper attire. Loose fitting, comfortable clothes are best when you’re doing yoga. You should also have a non-slip yoga mat and a mat bag or sling to carry it. While some studios provide these items for a rental fee, if you’re serious about the activity and wish to continue it, you should consider purchasing your own. While yoga blankets, blocks, straps, bolsters, and wheels are all helpful, your yoga studio should provide those items for you during class time.
All paths towards becoming a yoga instructor are different, but from a business standpoint, you must first learn how to do yoga, and then do a training course. Upon graduation, you must get registered, which you can do through the Yoga Alliance. If you’re looking to work in a fitness center, you will be required also to learn how to do CPR. Once you get your qualifications, you can get hired as a yoga instructor.
To learn more about starting your own Yoga Business check out my startup documents here.
Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.
Meet Shawn Chun: Entrepreneur and Yoga Fan
I’m a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online yoga business resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a yoga business owner in public at a studio or anywhere else I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Yoga Business Boss: I want to help future yoga business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.