Finding the right buddy can make all the difference to your yoga practice.
Alice just got home from work. It was a rough day today. Two other people were out sick and the workload was unbelievable. She thought briefly about putting her feet up and relaxing for the evening. Instead she is going out to a movie with a friend. She made the commitment a week ago. Going to the movie will be better than sitting at home and besides it will be good to share an evening with a friend.
Making a commitment to friend to go to yoga classes works the same way as making a commitment to go to a movie. Having a person that you go to yoga with all of the time will help you and your yoga practice. This friend is know as practice buddy.
What is a practice buddy
Simply put a practice buddy is a person that you share a yoga class with on a long term basis. You make a commitment to each other to attend a number of yoga classes together each week.
Why do you need a practice buddy
There are three reasons why you should have a practice buddy:
- Increased commitment
- Increased learning
- Increased motivation
Without commitment the other two will not happen.
1 — Increased commitment
When you hook up with a practice buddy you will soon discover that your level of commitment to your yoga practice has increased dramatically.
Because you now have a buddy that you are going to yoga class with you need to set specific dates when you each will be going to class together.
Before you had a yoga buddy you could get away with saying ” I will go to yoga twice this week” and not tie down the particular days and classes that you will be going to. When you have a buddy this vague commitment will not work. You and your buddy need to decide which classes you are going to.
Not only will Alice be getting out to more yoga classes she will find that she and her buddy will be learning more.
2 — Increased learning
When you have a practice buddy what you learn during a yoga class increases significantly. There are a couple of reasons for that.
First, a lot of people do not like to ask questions in a group setting. They are afraid that they will look stupid because they are the only one that does not understand.
When you have a practice buddy you can ask them, in private, if they understand. If they do they can help you to understand. If they do not then you are not alone. There are at least two of you that are confused. Now you can ask the teacher together.
When you know there is someone else that does not understand, that fear that you have of asking the teacher in front of the class goes away.
Second, after class, you and your practice buddy can review what you each learned during the class. You will discover that each of you remembers different things from the class. Your collective recollection of what was covered will be greater than what you remember individually.
In addition as you talk about what you learned, the discussion will help you each to recall additional information that you did not earlier remember.
A practice buddy is also good for motivation as well.
3 — Increased Motivation
When you are feeling discouraged, your practice buddy is likely to be enthusiastic. They will help to lift your spirits and get your positive energy flowing again.
Has this happened to you?
The weather was rotten. Work was hell. The drive home was a nightmare. Supper got burnt. You are done in. You are going to sit down and have a drink, forget about the day and watch some TV. There is no way you are going to yoga tonight.
There is a knock on the door. Your yoga practice buddy is here to pick you up and take you to yoga class. They are so enthusiastic that you decide to go with them after all.
Without your practice buddy you would have stayed on the couch and watched TV. You would have missed all the goodness that a yoga class brings you.
I don’t have a friend that wants to do yoga
Talk to your yoga teacher. Tell them that you would like a practice buddy. They will be able to suggest some people from the class that you could buddy up with.
Summary
Alice went to the movie because she had a friend to go with even when she was down and wanted to stay home. Having a yoga practice buddy will help you to keep your yoga practice going.
When you have a practice buddy you will have: increased commitment to get to yoga class; increased learning and increased motivation.
All of these factors will result in you increasing your enjoyment and the longevity of your yoga practice. The longer you practice yoga the healthier and more flexible you will become.
Next Steps
If you do not have a yoga buddy yet, talk to your friends and neighbours about joining you in practicing yoga. Both of you will benefit from this partnership.
