Your dog needs a buddy to for a walk.
It is time to go.
But it is snowing outside.
It does not make any difference.
You made the commitment, and now it is time to go. Besides your companion is just itching to get out the door and get started on the nightly walk that you do together.
The two of you have been doing this for years. A little snow storm is not going to stop you now.
Finally you push yourself out of your chair, get dressed for the weather and head towards the door. Your companion starts to wag her tail with joy and the door opens and you move outside into the snow for your nightly walk.
A yoga practice buddy is not quite the same as taking your dog for a nightly walk in the park but they both get you out of the house.
What is a practice buddy
In an earlier article we covered in detail what a practice buddy is and why you would want one.
Briefly, a practice buddy is someone you have made arrangements with to attend yoga classes together on a regular basis. This is not a casual “Let’s do yoga together sometime”. It is more of a “Let’s do yoga together three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, every week” arrangement that you have made.
A dog will get you out of the house every night just like a practice buddy will get you out to yoga practice for years to come.
When do you need a practice buddy
Typically your yoga life goes through three stages and during each of these stages you will benefit from having a yoga practice buddy for different reasons.
The three stages of your yoga life are:
- Checking it out
- I think I like it
- Oh Wow
Everyone starts with the Checking it out stage.
1 – Checking it out
When you first started your nightly walks with your dog it was an activity that would have died quickly if you did not have your companion with you to encourage you to get out the door and get moving.
Starting a yoga practice has the same challenges.
It’s a new place. It’s a new activity. It is scary. Having a practice buddy that you start your yoga practice with will make your desire to go stronger and you will be less intimidated.
You and your practice buddy can share in this new experience together. There is nothing quite like a practice buddy to provide you with the support you need to get started and keep going at this new activity.
This stage of your yoga practice is usually short. It does not take long for you to become comfortable with the new environment. The scariness and intimidation rapidly goes away.
Does that mean that you will not need a practice buddy when yoga becomes a familiar and comfortable activity that you look forward to everyday.
2 – I think I like it
Your nightly walks with your dog have become a routine. If the weather is lousy out, you would rather stay inside. Your companion is there beside you encouraging you to get up and get going. Who can resist that look that she gives you.
The newness has worn off and your yoga practice is becoming a routine activity that you enjoy and look forward to.
Now is the time that you are at risk of falling away from the practice and gradually reducing the number of classes that you take during the week.
This is an unconscious change. You do not plan to attend less classes, it’s just that something else has come up that you want to attend. Missing one class this week won’t hurt. Then later it will be two classes because of another extra special event.
Having a yoga practice buddy will help you to guard against this gradual erosion of your yoga practice. It is much easier to cancel a date with yourself than it is to cancel a date with your yoga practice buddy. You are prepared to let yourself off the hook, but it is harder to call your buddy and cancel.
This second stage is a critical stage. Your yoga practice is transitioning from something new and special to a routine activity that you look forward to and enjoy.
It is during this transition that you need the support of your yoga practice buddy and when you complete the move from new to routine there are new dangers that your yoga practice buddy can help you with.
3 – Oh Wow
You and your dog have been walking in the park for years now. It has become routine and something that you both look forward to. But even now when it is a routine there are still times that you think about skipping it until your buddy shows up the leash in her mouth and that look in her eye.
The first two stages of your yoga practice are relatively short. The Oh Wow stage goes on and on for years.
During the early times of this stage your enthusiasm is very high and you hardly need your practice buddy at all. Yoga has a very high priority and you would not miss a class for the world. You may even develop a home practice during this stage as well.
But as time moves on, your enthusiasm will start to mellow. Yoga will become a comfortable part of your life. It is something that you look forward to everyday. But events will start to intrude into your schedule much like in the previous stage.
You need a practice buddy to keep your commitment high
You need a practice buddy to talk to about your new learnings or the challenges that you continue to uncover. Your practice buddy can help you to better understand what you are learning from your yoga practice.
You need a practice buddy to motivate you when the times get tough. They are there to encourage you to continue your yoga practice when you would rather do something else.
It really comes down to the fact that you need a yoga practice buddy all of the time.
A real life example
I have been doing yoga intensely now for over a decade. I needed to develop an early morning practice because my days, evenings and weekends were very full with other activities. I found that my yoga practice was falling away. It had become very erratic.
I thought that an early morning practice would be the solution.
The problem with an early morning practice is that it is some much easier to stay in bed where it is nice and warm. It is difficult to get up and go to the yoga studio, especially when it is still dark out and cold. I ended up staying in bed a lot of the time. My early morning practice was not going well.
I found a practice buddy. We made a commitment to practice 3 days a week at 6:30 am.
Now there is no problem to get out of bed and get to the studio. My practice buddy will be there waiting for me to open the studio.
It is easy to let myself down and stay in bed where is it nice and warm, but it is impossible to let down my practice buddy.
Summary
Your dog got you out of the house over the years for a walk in the park. Your practice buddy will get you out to yoga practice over the years as well.
You need a practice buddy for different reasons at all three stages of your yoga practice life.
During the first stage you need a practice buddy to support you as you find out if you like this new activity.
During the second stage you need a yoga practice buddy to help you to move your yoga practice to a routine activity and support you in developing a strong habit of regular practice.
During the third stage when yoga has become routine, you need a practice buddy to keep your commitment high and your practice regular.
Next Steps
Find a yoga practice buddy and make a friend that you can enjoy your yoga practice with for all the stages of your yoga life.
