Building Consistency

     As we continue down the path of building consistency in our yoga practice, It's important to check in from time to time to understand WHY we strive for consistency in the first place! for some of us it's for the physical and mental benefits, and for others it may be something more. We may find that our practice can be a powerful anchor and stabilizing force in our lives. When the world feels rocky and unstable, its times like these when we can lean into the power and support of our consistent yoga practice to navigate the challenges we face. 

   In times of turmoil and uncertainty, the steadiness of a consistent yoga practice can be a valuable life line, empowering us with the ability to adapt to difficult changes we may face in our daily lives, and helping us move towards inner balance. There have been very real times for me as a yogi where just getting to Ashley's Tuesday morning class, or Melissa's Viniyoga class was the most important thing I could do for myself. It's truly amazing the effects of consistency and the power of familiarity to soothe and calm the mind. 

      When the world feels unfamiliar or like it’s going a thousand miles a minute, our yoga mat can become our refuge, our place of renewal where we can ground ourselves and find peace in the midst of chaos. If we lean into the supportive and reassuring aspects of our practice, we can more calmly navigate the difficulties that may arrive, and find peace in chaos. 

 SO HOW CAN WE LEAN MORE INTO THAT PEACE? 

1. Make Your Mat Your Sanctuary

      Mentally create an island or peace and let your mat be your sanctuary, "just for this practice" where your efforts supports you. 

2. Prioritize Your Practice as Self Care

     Let yourself know that you are worth the time and effort, and remind yourself of your WHY. Remember that you can't pour from an empty cup. Set time for yourself, you're worth it! 

1. Lean into the discomfort

     There is always an adjustment period when making changes or holding boundaries. Stick with it and you will not regret it! I always say, you will find freedom in discipline! 

     Most of all, Keep at It!!! Our yoga journey is unending, and that means we constantly have opportunities for growth and renewal.  Please feel free to reach out if you need anything at all, we are here to support you.

Master Your Practice ~ Consistency is Key

We hope your practice with consistency has been bearing fruit!

Last week we started exploring the many benefits that we can experience as we build and maintain a consistent practice. This week we will look a little deeper at some more things that make themselves available to us as we move through our practice, like our connections within our yoga community, and our connection to our environment.  

    We were graced with the storm of a century this past week and once again we are reminded of the strength and unpredictability of mother nature. Some of us may have only had to deal with a little more wind and rain than we're used to, and some of us may have had to fight back a little bit of flooding, but either way when nature decides to shake things up, all we can do as yogis and humans is to prepare and respond. 

    Although this storm came strong off season, just like with our yoga practice, if we become more in touch with our environment, we can adapt and work with our environment so that we can have more situational awareness, and see things that we may have otherwise missed. These are all things that improve with consistent interaction with our environment and community. 

    As we practice more and more, we get to know our community a lot better than we did before. You may find you take some classes with the same people, and maybe one day you make a new friend over coffee or lunch after class. We can also find our fellow yogis help us keep ourselves accountable in reaching our goals and staying consistent. One of my favorite things about our community at Home Yoga Studio are all of the generous members who will sometimes bring in fresh produce from their gardens and properties to share with everyone else.  There's a warm communal feeling that overcomes me when I see students enjoying fresh produce together with smiles on their faces. All these things can be experienced and enhanced through a consistent practice, and they can also help strengthen your consistency! 

SO LET'S PUT THINGS INTO ACTION!

   Here's a few small things that we can do this week to challenge ourselves to be proactive in reaping the rewards of a consistent practice, from connecting more with our community, or working more closely with our environment. 

1.  Go to lunch or coffee with a friend from class!

2.  Take a Walk through Old Town and find something new!

3. Spend 30 mins being present in a familiar environment! 

    These simple goals should help us with expanding our connection with our community and environment, and help us enjoy the little things a bit more, ultimately leading to a more consistent practice. We've got some fantastic things going on at the studio, including Health and Wellness Shots with Nurse Summer, and a Spirit Guide Connection Workshop with Liana!  

For more information check out homeyogatemecula.com .

We look forward to seeing you in class!

With Love, 

Adriane and the Home Yoga Team

The Power of Consistent Practice 💪

These past few weeks we've been diligently working on building consistency in our yoga practice, and as we get into the thick of things we can start to notice some of the secondary effects of our efforts, offering us opportunities to reap some deeper benefits of our practice.

   We first started by making time for our practice at work and throughout the day, even if it was just to breathe. Then we expanded on things by incorporating a simple 3 step method to find better success in building consistent practices, focusing on clear intentions, realistic schedules, and finding motivation through Joy. This week we will look at some of the wonderful things that can make themselves available to us when we dive deeper into our consistent yoga practice! 

    Having consistency as the foundation of our practice, can bring pearls of growth and opportunities that were otherwise invisible to light. As we become more familiar with our practice, the nuances become things of interest, and we can find ourselves learning more about our interactions with the environment. 

It's similar to some of the benefits of an Ashtanga practice, where the sequence is more rigid and familiar, and we are able to notice the differences in how our bodies show up for us more keenly from class to class.  In that same way, as we practice with more consistency, we can find ways of working more in tune with our environment, as we notice more about the places we frequent. If I regularly attend Jordan's Saturday morning class, and I decide I want to eat more local fresh foods, I might decide to do my grocery shopping regularly at the farmer's market across the street before or after class, and make my day move smoother, while also helping towards future goals as well (FYI, parking is easy peasy behind the studio before class). The benefits we experience from a consistent practice are ever-expanding if we allow them to be.

SO HOW ABOUT WE START SIMPLE?

    With all these great things waiting for us with just a little bit of work with consistency, how about we start by setting some small goals for ourselves? To help us out we can start with a few basic options that will help us tune into and work with our environment. 

  Try to take at least 2 classes this week!

  Go to the Saturday Farmer's Market!

    These small goals should help us with building and maintaining a little more consistency in our practice!

We've got some fantastic things going on at the studio, including a new Lomi Lomi Hawaiian Massage/ Reiki therapist, Maricel,  Vitamin Shots with Summer, and a  Spirit Guide Connection Workshop with Liana!

You probably also noticed we a couple of new Front Desk employees. 

Welcome Ciera and Alex!

 Ciera Arroyo, who I'm sure you recognized from being a long time member, we love that she agreed to spend even more time with us!  

And Alex Bedolla, they are a newer member, but we instantly fell in love with them!  If you havent had a chance, introduce yourselves, They are both there to help you with any questions and make your experience our studio even better! 

Consistency: The Magical Ingredient

This July was one of the hottest months on the planet in a great many years, and one thing I've found tends to happen during extremely hot times, is my practice can begin to dip or slip.  With all the extra heat and energy in the atmosphere, it can make simple activities more difficult, make us more sluggish,  and one thing that can often be compromised is our consistency! 

This week we're focusing on ways in which we can combat that difficulty, and foster a more consistent Yoga Practice! 

Consistency is one of the  fundamental aspects of our yoga practice that has a profound effect on the quality and benefits that we may receive from the practice, and it often gets overlooked. Whether you're a seasoned yogi, or a newcomer on this wonderful personal path, understanding the significance of consistency can transform your practice and enrich your life with the full benefits of your practice.  

Consistency is the thread that weaves together progress and growth in our yoga practice, and  can look a lot of different ways depending on the person. Finding ways to engage with your practice on a regular or semi-regular basis can not only increase your immediate benefits, (Flexibility, Strength, Balance, and Clarity), but it also makes it easier to keep up and solidify the good habits you're creating.  When you show up for yourself on the mat consistently you establish a profound connection between the mind and body, and your practice becomes a more integral part of your lifestyle, as opposed to a temporary interest.

 So How can we Practice our Consistency? 

The best way to start is to keep it simple, so lets break it down into 3 steps. 

 1. Set Clear Intentions: Clearly defining our goals provides us with a sense of purpose and motivation to stay committed, and making those goals attainable in the beginning can help build our momentum with consistency. Reflect on what brought you to the mat, and what you want to achieve with your practice. Start Small. 

 2. Create a Realistic Schedule:  One thing we've been working on in recent weeks is building a complimentary schedule that allows us to engage in our practice in a realistic, and regular way. Whether that's through incorporating breathwork into our work days, or setting aside time to practice even just a little. We at Home always recommend our students to come to the studio at least 2 times a week. We find that the people who have a dedicated time and day for going to yoga every week have the most success for creating a long term practice. We've even added new early morning classes to make it easier for you to get to class. Download the Walla app for the easiest ways to book your classes. The power of consistency can be expressed by our ability to make the time for ourselves, no matter how little. 

 3. Find Joy in the Journey:  One of the most important drivers of consistency is motivation, so we cannot forget to find joy in all the little victories along the way and throughout our days. Our path is seldom every about the destination, and more about the journey, so embracing the milestones and victories we experience is absolutely vital! When we can find joy in the process, our practice becomes a more delightful and rewarding experience, making consistency an enjoyable part of your daily life. 

 Being consistent can be one of the biggest things we can do to support ourselves in anything we do. Though I too find myself struggling with consistency at times,  showing up with self-compassion, and forgiving yourself when you fall short can make STAYING consistent possible, and all the more rewarding. Try to find a few small ways in which you can bring consistency and regularity into your weekly routine, and see how that enhances your practice! 

We have some wonderful workshops and things going on at the studio including our Monthly Reiki Share with Liana Soria on 8/6. We will be having an Intro to Yoga Class this month as well, for anyone who's itching to start a new practice and dive in. We also have a Women's Health Practice at the end of the month, led by Ashley Llano! There's more to check out online or on our social media! We hope to see you in class this week! 

 With Love, 

Adriane and the Home Yoga Team