Our Yoga Manager, Michelle Jennings, shares how to form a healthy habit
I often feel like we start the New Year the way we start a new week – motivated to make better choices and establish healthy habits.
You know how it goes. You set resolutions in January and start your routine on Monday. But as your week kicks on, you begin to feel flat and those elusive habits are still out of reach. So how do you overcome this feeling and set habits that will stick?
Firstly, we need to understand how long it takes to form a habit. In a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, scientists determined that on average it takes at least two months before a new behaviour becomes automatic.
When we understand the time it takes to form a habit, we begin to be more patient and kind to ourselves. We give ourselves permission to make mistakes, and develop strategies to grow our habit more slowly instead of expecting a habit to stick after a week.
Is yoga a practice you want to develop into a habit?
At Bodhi J, we’re offering a 60-day yoga challenge – the minimum time it takes for you to develop a lasting habit. All you need to do is complete a minimum of 25 yoga classes within 60 days from your start date in April.
And to reward you, you’ll receive a free aromatherapy 60-minute full body massage that uses carefully selected blended oils, and is designed to help you relax. This incentive will give you a goal in mind as you on developing your yoga practice.
We chose this amount of time because it’s based on the premise of easing your body into a regular practice by committing to around 3 yoga classes per week for the first month of your challenge. This will give your body a day of rest after each practice, and allow your body the chance to gradually build strength, balance and flexibility.
Then, after a month of regular yoga, we recommend you increase your practice to a minimum of 4 times per week, making sure you always listen to your body and incorporate days of rest.
We offer a variety of yoga styles at Bodhi J, so you can alternate the classes to incorporate both strength and relaxation to your new weekly routine.
We guarantee that after two months, you’ll start to feel more confident in yourself and in your ability to form new habits. And if you stick to our recommended schedule, you’ll easily reach the goal of 25 classes in two months, and can reward yourself with an amazing Bodhi J aromatherapy massage.
