Are We Having Fun Yet?

Bring play back into your practice with three styles of yoga that can get you out of your head and bring a smile to your face.

- By Jennifer Davis-Flynn

Real Talk:

If I don't do yoga every day, I fall apart. Maybe this sounds dramatic, but navigating a worldwide pandemic, economic turbulence, social injustice, year-round wildfires in my home state of Colorado, and, most recently, a war, is hard on the nervous system. My mental health depends on the 25 minutes I spend on the mat each morning doing gentle asana, plus three to five minutes of breathwork, and 10 minutes of meditation or chanting. Yet, most mornings, I still have to force myself to do all of that instead of doomscrolling through the daily tragedies on my social media.

Is this morning practice essential? Absolutely. Is it super fun? Hmm... not so much. It's like taking vitamins and going to bed early. It's the responsible thing to do. My yoga routine has become just another part of adulting. But does staying well really need to be so serious all the time? Are you, like me, a little burned out on your yoga routine? Just going through the motions, practicing along with your usual YouTube video every day? Have you been flowing through the same vinyasa sequence since 2008? Maybe it's time for us to shake things up and have some fun with our practice again.

Returning to Play

Remember how much fun it can be to just be in your body and play? No? Makes sense. As adults in a society that rewards hyper-productivity, playtime is not actively encouraged. But it should be. The cognitive and mental health benefits can keep us healthy, happy, and mentally sharp.