Budget-Friendly Ways to Elevate Your Yoga Practice

A Guest Post, written by Shelia Johnson

Sheila Johnson left the corporate world and long hours behind to start her own business. The newfound freedom and flexibility enabled her to prioritize her health by practicing a daily self-care routine. She created WellSheila as a place to not only share her story, but inspire others to put their physical and mental health first with a regular wellness routine and daily self-care.

I love how Sheila realized that her corporate life of 12-hour days wasn’t serving her and made the important decision to make her well-being a priority! She took control of her health and body by creating a beautiful holistic lifestyle.

In this article, Sheila walks us through a variety of tips and tools to improve our yoga practice.

Enjoy!

Yoga stimulates different nerves in your body, especially the Vagus nerve that carries information from the brain to most of the body’s major organs, slows everything down and allows self-regulation. It’s the nerve that is associated with the parasympathetic system and emotions like love, joy and compassion.

Deepak Chopra

If you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, you might start to feel like your practice is reaching a plateau. This can make it difficult to show up on the mat every day and may even leave you feeling frustrated after your practice.

This is something that most yoga gurus will experience at some point. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to breathe new life into a stale practice without splurging on pricey retreats or specialty classes.

Here are some fun, budget-friendly tips, and tools to help take your yoga practice to the next level.

Invest in Some Affordable Tech

Investing in a few pieces of affordable tech is a great way to make your practice a little more exciting.

For example, a wearable fitness tracker will show you how your regular yoga practice contributes to your overall fitness goals. If you would like to start practicing yoga at home, a streaming device will help you follow along with the best online yoga teachers right in your living room.

You may also want to consider purchasing smart speakers so you can play relaxing music or nature sounds during your practice. All of this gear is surprisingly affordable if you shop at major electronic stores such as Best Buy. Plus, you can save even more money on your purchases by looking online for Best Buy coupons before shopping!

Use Your Phone to Track Your Progress

You may already be in the habit of setting intentions for each yoga session, but what about long-term goals? Goals can push you to try new things and explore different ways to get more out of your routine.

For example, you may set a goal to master a brand-new pose every week or try out a new form of yoga every month. If you only practice occasionally, set a goal to practice every day for a month and track your progress.

You can use fun phone apps—many of which are free—to set these weekly or monthly goals and monitor your progress over time.

Leave Your Comfort Zone

According to DoYouYoga, another great way to liven up your practice is to get out of your yoga comfort zone.

Stepping outside of the practice that you are comfortable with will help you challenge your mental and physical boundaries, providing an opportunity to transform your practice like never before.

Try doing yoga in a new setting, such as a park or beach, working on poses you dislike or taking classes to experiment with new yoga styles.

To save money on yoga classes, try asking studios about new student discounts and donation-based classes. Some studios may even offer free classes led by teachers in training!

Meditate Instead of Zoning Out

If you’re very familiar with your regular yoga routine, you may find yourself tuning out during your practice. But staying mindful is essential for getting the most out of your time on the mat.

Try to be present and check in with your mind and body constantly. Not only will this help you make tiny adjustments to better serve your body, but it will also provide some relaxing therapeutic effects for your mind.

To bring more mindfulness to your practice, Yoga Journal recommends maintaining awareness on your breath and paying attention to the sensations in your muscles as you move through each pose.

This may also be a good excuse to skip out on the costs of yoga classes and practice for free in the comfort of your own home. It’s much easier to turn your attention inward without other people around.

Try Some Basic Props

You don’t need to buy a ton of special yoga accessories to make your practice more fun, but a single new yoga prop can bring some novelty to your routine.

Research different yoga props and consider buying one that interests you. For example, a yoga wheel is a great way to open your chest, relax your back muscles, and strengthen your core.

Or, if you’re trying out new, challenging poses, consider getting a few yoga blocks to establish correct alignment and extend your reach to the floor.

Try something new

You don’t have to spend a lot to transform your yoga practice into something new.

If you’re losing your excitement for yoga, try out affordable tools and find free ways to take things to the next level.

A practice that is always transforming and evolving will keep you coming back to the mat day after day.

The true purpose of yoga is to discover that aspect of your being that can never be lost.

Deepak Chopra

Until next time … Peace and Blessings, Friends!