6 Mindset Tips That All Yogis Should Know (Including Beginners!)

When it comes to starting or advancing your yoga practice, there are certain things that every person should know. For example, it's important to have a good yoga mat that isn't slippery, a nice place to limber up in, and clothes that you can shape-shift in comfortably. These are tips you can find most places on the internet.

Yoga isn't exactly stretching, nor is it just a nice way to relax and unwind. It's both of these things and so much more. The best approach to take when you first step onto your yoga mat is to be open and alert to your experience as it unfolds. The trouble with deciding in advance that you know what something is going to be like is that you stop listening carefully and disengage your natural curiosity. So just let it be whatever it is.

Yoga is not about perfectly imitating a series of elaborate poses or checking off a specific goal on your self-improvement to-do list. It's a physical discipline designed to stretch you, both literally and metaphorically, that has no red-ribboned finish line to shoot for. In yoga, the aim is to skillfully work with your body, breath, and mind, to make subtle improvements to various aspects of your health, one step at a time.

A practice requires commitment, discipline, and consistency. If you give your yoga sessions anything less than 100%, you're cutting yourself off from many of the benefits. You don't have to do a long class, but whatever time you commit to it, go all in. And if you want to practice with your family or friends at home, that's OK. But try not to disturb each other. Yoga is a uniquely personal experience. It is different from other physical disciplines in that it requires your undivided attention and an intention to be aware of everything that is going on in your body and mind.

You don't need to practice advanced postures to challenge yourself in yoga. There's always room for improvement—even with the fundamentals. Synchronizing your breath with movement is surprisingly difficult, as is maintaining full focus throughout the sequence. If you feel like you're just phoning it in, here are some tips to make the practice more challenging.

There are two parts to meditation—concentration (not allowing yourself to be distracted) and nonjudgmental awareness (also known as mindfulness). I find that yoga is actually easier than seated meditation as there are more things going on to keep you occupied. Throughout the practice, observe the sensations in your body as you move, stretch, and breathe.

When you approach yoga in this way, you are doing yourself a solid, so acknowledge yourself for that. It shows that you respect yourself and that you want to improve in positive and healthy ways. Yoga is a particularly effective self-care strategy because it operates on multiple levels—physical, mental, and emotional. It not only eases aches and pains and reduces stiffness; it also relieves stress, clears the mind, and helps you to feel better about yourself. It is a mind-body discipline that recognizes that everything is connected. You feel light in your body, which gives you more energy. This lightness drives you to be more active, which helps you to think more clearly. Mental clarity helps you to make better decisions, which boosts your mood. And so it goes.