10 tips to create a yoga practice that changes your life

10 Tips to Create a Yoga Practice That Changes Your Life10 Tips to Create a Yoga Practice That Changes Your Life

Whatever the reason for taking your first yoga class (and your second and your third), the potential to go much deeper has always and will always be there.

I practiced yoga for about five years before I really started to tap into its life changing properties. But looking back, I can now see

so many moments, talks, relationships, experiences and books that lead me to these deeper elements.

This practice has the potential to create a complete 180 in your life. Breakthroughs galore! I am living proof. This practice transformed me from the inside out and I still come into breakthroughs that blow my mind. But it can be challenging when you

don’t know exactly where to look. In this booklet I am giving you the insider scoop on where to look, what to look for and what to do when you find it.

By Brittany T Policastro

www.livingbeyondasana.com #livingbeyondasana

While this practice goes so much deeper than the postures, they are the best place to start. Your body is a vehicle for the bigger experiences to come. You want to keep your body safe

and healthy. First thing to check off your list is alignment. Learning to come into these postures in a way that is optimal for your body will set you up for experiencing the deeper elements in the future. If you are unsure of how to learn proper alignment, look for yoga classes with titles such

as: Align and Flow, Anusara or Iyengar. Also look for teachers who’s training includes Iyengar, Anusara, Yoga Therapy or Yoga Anatomy. Beginners classes or workshops are also a great way

to learn the ins and out of the basic postures.

1. Align. Align. Align.

2. Don’t Get too Hung up on the PosturesI know, I am contradicting myself. Hear me out. Yes the postures are super

important. Yes you need to be aligned and safe in them. And yes, this is a life long education. But if you get so attached to mastering the postures you will forget that the point of the postures is to take you into a richer experience of yourself. Have fun with the postures.

Learn handstands and arm balances if you wish. Just hold space for what is beyond them.

3. Seek Yoga Teachers and C lasses with Powerful MessagesNot all yoga classes are created equal. Some are all about alignment. Some are all about flow.

Some have teachers that only call out poses and barely link the breath. And others have teach-ers that weave brilliant and beautiful messages that inspire you and even make you cry. These

are the ones you want to look out for. In addition, look for teachers that link breath with movement, add some element of flow, leave

plenty of time for Savasana and ask you to tap into how you feel. Chanting and talk of the Chakras is also a good sign. When a teacher can offer these elements in an open class you have

a greater opportunity to use the yoga practice to grow and heal.


4. Find Books, Documentaries and Spiritual Leaders that Chal lenge you to Dig Deep

For me this part is huge. I have never been one to find one teacher and cling. I think it is super important to move around and seek the opinions of many. And always keep in mind they are just opinions. You may agree with some things and others you may not. This is good. It means

you are being discerning.

Two of my favorite documentaries are What the Bleep Do We Know and I AM. Two of my fa-vorite spiritual books are The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer and You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay. And two of my favorite spiritual leaders are Osho and Danielle Laporte. Be sure to

check them all out!


Yes, meditation is necessary to expand your practice. It’s all about turning in. All the good stuff you need is inside of you. Meditation is your one-way ticket. The good thing is there are tons of

different ways to meditate. From guided meditations, to dynamic meditations, to dancing meditations to

speaking gibberish for five minutes, there is a meditation that fits your style. Check out Osho’s book, Meditation: The First and Last Freedom. This book gives you bunches of juicy meditations

that are beyond just sitting still and trying not to think.

6. C omplement Your Practice with Healing ModalitiesHealing practices are such a great compliment to your yoga practice and can facilitate healing

on profound levels. Some of my favorite include Acupuncture, Herbalism, Massage, Reiki and Dance Therapy. Do some research or ask your friends or yoga teachers and

see what is in your area and what feels like a fit for you.

5. Learn To Meditate


For me, this one is really powerful. When we can serve others we create connection, learn about our own gifts and talents and create a greater sense of community. There are so many ways to do this. You can connect with a local charity doing work you love, create a fund drive

for a cause you are passionate about, come up with your own project for an issue that is dear to you or research global service travel.

If you are interested in service work and travel in developing countries, I recommend Cross Cultural Solutions, Off the Mat into the World and buildOn. I’ve worked personally with each one and they all rock. If you are looking to deepen your yoga practice and give back you can

also check out my Beyond Asana Teacher Training at www.livingbeyondasana.com.

8. Work with a Good Therapist I remember sitting on a bus in Cambodia, talking to yoga teacher, Seane Corn about how i

ntense I was feeling. She asked me in all my years of yoga if I ever worked with a therapist. I hadn’t. I knew it was time. Shortly after I started working with a Shamanic Healer and my work

with her helped to literally change every aspect of my life. There are so many types of therapists out there. Some are traditional, some are more spiritual and some practice other modalities such as Shamanism, Tantric or Clairvoyance. If you are unsure where to begin, ask your yoga teacher or friends that are also on this path. I find that when we put our intentions

out there the things or people we are looking actually find us.

7. Find Ways To Give Back


9. C ome Out of Your C omfort Zone

For me, teaching has become as much about taking people out of their comfort zone as it is about giving them the tools to heal. As one of my teachers once said, “Comfort is overrated.” I

couldn’t agree more. When we are comfortable we aren’t stretching our limits. We aren’t grow-ing. We are staying put. Growth and transformation is often messy. Finding ways to push your comfort limits will prepare you with the tools to handle your own transformation. My favorite ways to push my comfort zone include a deep yoga practice, climbing trees and travel to de-

veloping areas of the world.

10. Take Your Yoga HomeA home practice is a great idea but I actually want you to think bigger. As you continue to

practice, and apply the tips I have just given you, your awareness will grow. The more you can apply what you connect to and learn on your mat the more you will grow. With growth comes transformation. Bring your yoga practice (and the consciousness it brings you) into every single aspect of your life from your relationships, to your work, to your creative projects. Don’t even

think about compartmentalizing it. Share the love and you will get so much more back.


10 tips to create a yoga practice that changes your life

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