Whether you’re doing yoga on your own or you’re practicing couples yoga poses, you have to understand the fact that a few specifics will be determining for your success.

Experience level isn’t one of them. Anyone can do yoga and become successful in the long run. Patience, commitment and the selection of the right practice happen to be much more important.

If you want to ensure the success of your yoga endeavors, you’ll have to keep the following in mind.

The Right Yoga Class

The term yoga is pretty generic but it encompasses a number of different practices. All of them are powerful and as studies show, they can improve your life and even your self-efficacy or professional performance. As a person who wants to ensure long-term yoga commitment, however, you’ll have to choose the right discipline.

Most people prefer a faster-paced yoga class, hence Vinyasa is very popular.

Ashtanga is a very rigorous style that features rapid position changes. As a result, it’s a much better choice for people who already have some experience.

Bikram yoga has classes being held in a heated room for even more effective fat burning. Hatha yoga teaches physical postures and usually, elements of it are featured in most other styles. Iyengar focuses on both alignment and very precise movements.

These are just a few of the options – many others also exist. To find the one that’s right, you may want to visit a couple of different classes. It’s very important to enjoy what you’re doing if you want to stick to yoga in the long run.

The Right People

Doing yoga with a partner or an exercise buddy can help you stick to it in the months and even years to come.

Finding a yoga partner is a relatively simple task – online communities and websites like DoULike simplify the search for similar-minded individuals.

Research suggests that doing exercise or yoga sessions with a partner will make you much more likely to stick to the routine. The reason is simple – you have someone to accompany you, motivate you when you don’t feel like working out and share successes with.

It’s a mutually-beneficial relationship because you’ll be doing the same for your exercise pal. Even if you don’t have someone to do yoga with, you can easily befriend a class member and form your own yoga clique.

Enthusiasm

Are you truly excited about doing yoga or are you going to a class just because it’s trendy?

Enthusiasm is essential to persevere, especially when the classes start getting tougher.

Positive attitude and enjoyment are both needed to become a successful yoga practitioner. Are you eager to go to the next yoga class or does that seem like a burden? Would you rather skip yoga and do something else? If so, chances are that you’re not going to stick to it in the long run.

Faith in Your Instructor

Your yoga guru or instructor will open a whole new world and give you the tools required to explore.

The instructor is probably the most important person that will influence the success of your yoga practice.

Even if you like a certain type of yoga, your endeavors could be sabotaged by the wrong instructor. Hence, your intuition should tell you that you’re being instructed by the right person. There should be a bond and some mutual respect that will increase the enjoyment level.

Putting faith in your guru, even when you feel that the going’s getting tough can help you move forward regardless of setbacks and challenges.

Realistic Expectations

Unrealistic expectations have caused more than one failure. The world of yoga isn’t exempt when it comes to the destructive power of pushing yourself too hard and demanding too much right from the start.

Chances are that the beginning will be tough. You’re not going to accomplish a lot right from the start. Patience and a good grasp of your current skills/challenges will provide the tools required to move forward.

Setting the bar very high means that you’ll easily get disappointed. Failure is a normal part of learning. It should be anticipated and welcomed because it will teach you a valuable lesson. People who expect way too much will often give up at the first sign of weakness. Do your research, know your physical condition and set manageable milestones.

Avoiding Boredom

While finding your yoga style is one of the keys to success, doing the same thing over and over again can quickly get repetitive and boredom.

You should definitely seek a bit of diversity and excitement to avoid your yoga practice becoming a tedious habit.

Vary your training periodically, whether you’re doing yoga at home or in a center. Once you learn something and you master a specific skill, you should move on to the next opportunity to acquire new skills. Progress will keep you motivated, which is why you need to move away from your zone of comfort as soon as it becomes too familiar.

Finally, remember that breaking the rules every now and then is the best way to have fun and to discover excitement in the things that you do.

Be gentle to yourself, reward successes and if you feel like skipping a class or two, do so. Your body and your mind will tell you exactly what they need and desire at the time being. Honor these signals and you’ll find yourself becoming a more and more successful yoga practitioner.