It’s no surprise that practicing yoga regularly comes with a bevy of benefits. You might think that practicing daily is true discipline and only for hard-core yogis, but daily practice is easier than it sounds even when you have a busy schedule. It will make your yoga practice that much more impactful. Read on to find out the 7 benefits of practicing yoga on a daily basis.

Practicing daily also doesn’t mean hitting the studio for a full class, a daily practice can consist of just a 10 to 15-minute session; a few minutes of meditation, stretching or even a few vinyasas, yes, that is a yoga practice. Some days can be more involved and others perhaps even simpler. This is all part of the path toward being a daily practitioner. 

More Focus

Yoga encourages us to focus on our breath and our state of mind and body. Doing this simple practice daily can really strengthen this part of our being. We will be able to bring this focus more easily into our everyday life. While we are working on a project, solving an interpersonal issue, or even driving, we will be more focused.

Focus is important to get the most out of life. You’ll always hear focus “this” focus “that” throughout a traditional yoga class, this is bringing our attention from elsewhere to a single point. Most of us are going through our day without any focus at all, we are daydreaming for hours at a time, not really aware of our surroundings. With daily yoga practice, we can bring focus into our life easier and it can become a positive part of our day-to-day routines.

Best practice for focus: Start each class with a body scan, then a mind scan, and ask yourself “how am I feeling today?”

Increased Stamina

Yoga gives us the foundation we need for a healthy heart, immune system, and lean body which in turn lets us go throughout our days with more ease. No more getting winded from carrying groceries up the stairs or jogging to your car in the rain. Daily practice will keep you in tip-top shape.

A portion of yoga is non-moving and concentrates on the mind, but the rest of yoga is physical. That’s why having a daily practice can give you better stamina and give your heart the workout it needs daily. Yoga is phenomenal in helping with other sports and activities in our daily lives like picking up or taking care of children, running, sports, and even sex.

Best practice for increasing stamina: Add a few rigorous vinyasas to your class or several times a week trying to hit the 1-hour mark for practice.

Sense of Calm

Everyone knows yoga is really great for the mind. Anybody will tell you they are more chill and relaxed mentally after a good yoga class. This is because yoga brings forth the awareness and focus necessary to conquer our own fears and anxieties. Yoga is a tool to find peace and calm. Of course, it may take practice for some to be able to push all anxiousness aside, but anything is possible with practice.

People who practice daily are said to have more control over their own emotional state and furthermore are able to stay calm when things heat up. You may even become a leader where your peers will look up to your calm and serene demeanor as a method for truly dealing with the stresses of life. 

Best practice for increasing calm: Start and end each daily class with a focused mantra, like saying “I am grateful for,” “the most positive thing in my life is,” “I am enough,” “I am love.”

More Structure and Routine

A lack of routine or sense of purpose in life can lead to increased anxiety and lack of motivation. Making space in your daily schedule for 15 minutes or an hour of yoga practice can create a solid foundation for success in your physical and mental realm.

It can be a morning session or perhaps it’s easier to practice in the evening when the house is calm and all the tasks are completed. Experiment for a few weeks to see what works best, because if it works for you and you find that you are enjoying one time over the other, you will be more likely to stick to a daily practice. 

Best practice to stick to a schedule: Try not to be hard on yourself if you miss a day, don’t give up. Reward yourself by planning yoga before meals or before a shower. 

Increased Immune System

Yogis have long touted the benefits of practicing yoga as a way to cleanse and strengthen the immune system. Yoga clears the lymphatic system, keeps the blood circulating into muscles that normally wouldn’t receive such energy, and gets the heart pumping.

It is also believed that practicing inversions can keep the immune system stay strong. Engaging in headstands, handstands, shoulder stands and even downward-facing dog daily might help you keep the colds at bay while it seems all of your friends are sick. 

Best practices for a better immune system: Make sure to add some sort of inversion, twist, and deep stretch into each practice. Also, nothing is more important than a clean and balanced diet for a good immune system.

Being Part of a Community

Practicing yoga daily will open you up to a whole new community you didn’t know about. Even if you are practicing at home, there are YouTube channels and live streams where you can meet new people. Join a free class in the park and meet your neighbors. And of course, there’s your local studio where you can become a regular and get to know other yogi lovers. 

Even if you prefer to do your own thing at your own home, you will be intrinsically connected to other yogis. When you meet a yogi, you and that person will instantly have a bond. You might find yourself more inclined to perhaps want to be a teacher or join worship to learn about a specific aspect of yoga. All of which will expose you to more like-minded people.

Best practice for garnering community: Make yourself part of the community by getting out there and meeting others through studio classes, workshops, free park classes, or yoga festivals. 

More Self Confidence

Doing anything daily will give you more self-confidence. Yoga is one of those special activities which gives you a higher sense of self, allowing you to transcend the dark clouds that keep you from rising above. Woking daily through your practice on both your physical and mental self, you will automatically come to find more confidence and more self-esteem. 

Body awareness comes with yoga practice and this awareness can be so crucial for growth in individuals who might have poor body image or are self-abusive. When you get on your mat, you face your demons head-on and can hide from them no more. Over time you learn how to easily overcome or cope with them in a more healthy manner.

Best practice for self-confidence: Practicing in a group can grow self-confidence, as well as starting each class with a positive mantra – “I am enough, I am magnificent,” and then flowing through that energy in your practice. 

Now it’s time to get on your mat! I hope you are able to build a daily yoga practice from scratch. Sure it takes a bit of dedication and focus, but the benefits are huge and will set you up for a life of both physical and mental wellness.