A few good 20 minute yoga practice sessions fit into modern life more easily than an hour long class at a yoga studio. For many people, the key to sticking with yoga is to cut it up into manageable chunks of time throughout the day. Whether you come up with your own 20 minute routine or purchase DVDs that include 20 minute yoga routines, you might be surprised by how much of an effect yoga can have on your life.
20 Minute Yoga Practice Essentials
The most important consideration to make sure that you stick with your new yoga practice is to make it at a fixed time during the day. Try practicing everyday before you eat breakfast, or every afternoon when you've just gotten home from work but haven't had dinner yet. Make your yoga practice a fixed part of the day so that, much like brushing your teeth, it's impossible to forget.
In addition to choosing a time of day that suits you, and making a hobby out of it, be sure to choose yoga routines that you enjoy and that give you the effect that you desire from yoga. Before you invest in a stack of yoga DVDs, carefully examine what effect you want your yoga practice to have. There are DVDs out there for virtually every type of yoga practice. From DVDs for burning fat, right down to DVDs for yoga meditation, the selection is extremely broad. Do some soul-searching before buying the DVDs so that when you do the yoga routine for the first time, it has the desired effect.
Another important aspect to a successful 20 minute yoga practice is to vary your routine. Some yogis are creatures of habit, and like to perform exactly the same yoga routine each and every time they get on their mat. Even if you like to have a set routine, you should still put some variation in it every so often. Routines that become too routine are less effective. In addition, varying your routine can help you stick with it week after week.
DVDs with 20 Minute Yoga Routines
If coming up with your own series of yoga poses and meditation doesn't appeal to you, there are plenty of routines out there, recorded onto DVD to help you into a 20 minute practice.
- 20-minute Yoga Makeover: Weight Loss: A Sara Ivanhoe DVD, this DVD makes a fat-burning yoga practice into a quick activity that can be squeezed into any part of the day.
- AM and PM Yoga: Two 20-minute yoga sessions are on this DVD: an energizing morning sequence, and a relaxing sequence for the evening. A very popular DVD, this selection is good for beginners.
- Yoga for Busy People: Featuring three different routines: calmness, vitality, and inner harmony, these three routines are each 25 minutes and are designed to achieve maximum benefits with minimal time investment.
- Yoga Express: Four Short Routines: This DVD is a great investment for those who like variety. The four routines on this DVD are each very distinct; the energy routine is 20 minutes, and features sun salutations, while a ten-minute relaxation routine is a nice way to stretch your muscles while relaxing your mind. In addition, a 25-minute core routine strengthens your abdominals and back muscles for overall health. Lastly, the compact routine is 15 minutes and provides a general yoga practice.
Regular, but Short, Yoga Practice
As highlighted in this interview with Edward Vilga, many people would love to be practicing yoga, but feel that they can't fit a regular yoga practice into their schedules. Vilga emphasizes the importance of practicing yoga on a regular basis; it's not so much how long you practice, but that you fit it in each and everyday. A 20 minute yoga routine can help you fit yoga in regularly so that you can maximize the effects of practicing yoga.
