In my yoga teacher training, I was taught that the physical asana practice was designed to prepare the body to settle for long periods of stillness. If we have too much agitation in the body, or misalignment, it can be hard to relax down and let go. Though I have gravitated more towards a still practice in recent years, this past month I came back to asana as part of my regular routine.
Just twenty minutes every evening for the last month has made a huge difference, both in alleviating back pain from carrying around my ever-growing toddler, and helping me find stillness. It is not the athletic yoga of my youth, but a slow, easeful practice, responsive to the needs of my body.
Give it a try. Maybe replace a Netflix show with a practice in the evening, and see if there’s a shift. If you are looking for guidance, Yoga with Adriene has multiple 30 day challenges filled with short practices. All you have to do is press play to enjoy finding space and strength in your own body.