Hatha Yoga for Stress Management: Creating Your New Year Yoga Plan

Are you ready to make a life changing resolution?to twenty minutes, if you have the time.
What is a daily Yoga plan? How can a daily Yoga planOnce you are up and about, you could practice asana
reduce stress and change your life?warm-ups or Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar). If you
You can make a change at any time of the year, butdo not have time, you could be mindful of what you
New Year's resolutions are the most popular. Yet, weeat by eating in moderation and making wise choices.
often see that New Year's resolutions do not make itYou can work on your posture as you sit, stand, walk
past Valentine's Day. So, if you are ready to make aor perform any physical task. Is your back straight
change and add Yoga to your life - let's look at a waywhen you eat? Do you take the time to enjoy your
for you to be successful for the long-term.food? Are you breathing correctly or are you already
Get a journal and prepare it for writing. I prefer to writeshort of breath? Does coffee make you short of
things down, but you may prefer a lap top, personalbreath? Which foods cause you adverse reactions?
digital assistant, or your computer. Either way, youThis self-observation is just another exercise in
should write your goals down - especially the amountmindfulness, but will cause you to open a form of
of time you plan to practice Yoga in a studio, at home,consciousness, which will improve your daily life.
or on the way to and from work.In order for us to make changes, we must first want,
You can practice Yoga all day long. When youplan, observe, take action, and practice Yoga each
consider the many aspects of Hatha Yoga, you canday. Yoga is not a physical exercise to be counted by
easily incorporate them into your life. Here are somethe minutes you practice on a Yoga mat. Physical
examples, but remember to incorporate these habitsexercise is just one aspect of Hatha Yoga.
gradually. Do not make Yoga into a task, but take theTo bring your life in balance, you must identify what
time to enjoy the aspects, which help you deal withyou do that causes your stress. This will not eliminate
stress and add quality to your daily life.all of your stress, but it will identify stressful situations,
In the morning, upon waking, you can practicewhich you can prevent.
Pranayama in bed. There are many PranayamaThis is just one example of Yogic methods applied
techniques to choose from, but you may find Dirghatoward better health and a less stressful life. Writing
breath or natural breath to be easier at this time of thedown your Yoga plan is just the start of a good habit
day. You could practice meditation upon rising, for tenfor positive change.