Daily Yoga Habit: Why I Started, And How My Body Changed My Mind

Daily yoga habit: the short answer

I started a daily yoga habit because I saw a photo of a lean, muscular 85-year-old man and thought, if he can do it, so can I. What surprised me was not only the change in my body. A daily yoga practice changed my mind and my behaviour too, more reliably than willpower ever had. And after a few months, turning up stopped taking any effort at all. That is how long it took me to build a yoga habit, and it fits what habit research has found. Here is my story, written for anyone, man or woman, wondering whether it is worth starting.

Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree. This story sits in our food and habits notes.

This article in short form

• Why I started: a photo of a strong 85-year-old man.
• Body surprise: shoulders and arms got stronger and more flexible.
• Mind surprise: fewer upsets, calmer responses.
• The habit: after a few months, daily yoga took no willpower.
• The research: a median of 66 days for a habit to stick.
• The method: make it obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying.
• The swap: keep the reward, change what you do before it.
• Next step: start with beginner classes, in Darwin or LIVE online.

Why did I start yoga?

Because of one photo. I saw a picture of an 85-year-old man who was lean and muscular.

I thought: if he can do it, so can I. There is no need to assume I will decline in mind and body. I certainly did not want to end up needing full-time care before my time.

It spurred me into action. I started doing daily yoga.

The yoga was Iyengar yoga: an active, physical style, taught in easy steps. I went to classes at the studio most days, usually as the first thing I did after leaving work.

What changed in my body first?

My shoulders and arms, which I did not expect. As I kept up daily yoga, a few things surprised me.

One day, loitering under a hot shower, I noticed I could clasp my hands behind my back, at least on one side, reaching down from over the top of my shoulder. I could not do that before.

Second, in the trusty bathroom mirror, I noticed my shoulders and upper arms were getting some muscular form.

I was surprised because I didn’t expect that from the poses I was doing. I realised it was coming from the poses where I hold my arms outstretched, like Warrior II, and from the upside-down poses where my whole body weight is held up by my arms and shoulders.

Can doing yoga change your mind?

In my experience, yes, and that was the biggest surprise. The changes were not confined to my body. My mind was changing too.

By way of background, I am a bit of a nerdy, intellectual type, with a moderate amount of willpower. I had always thought change flows from a deliberate choice in your mind, followed by physical action to carry it out.

What I experienced with yoga was the reverse. Physical practice led to mental change.

For example, I had fewer upsets in my life. I was “losing it” less. I could step back from things, think about them, and respond (or not) in a considered way.

This was different from deciding on a course of action and then trying to stick to it. Losing my temper, or snapping at someone, would have been an example of failing at my chosen path of good behaviour! The changes that came from practice were more reliable, as long as I kept doing yoga.

What I learnt about body and mind

My old way of thinking, that mental decisions lead to physical change, was turned upside down. I got a new appreciation of the connection between body and mind.

In the process, I was less trapped in my head, and I was living a happier, more chilled life.

That fits what Flametree sees in students. The work starts with the body, and the quieter mind follows. It is known from long practice in the Iyengar tradition, and it is what keeps many people coming back once the original reason for starting has been solved.

How long does it take to build a yoga habit?

For me, a few months. The last and most powerful surprise was that daily yoga became a habit.

After quite a few months, I noticed it was no effort to keep turning up at yoga each day. It just became something I did as part of my routine, without thinking about it.

Some time later I read part of the popular book Atomic Habits, and realised I had almost accidentally stumbled onto what it recommends: do something regularly for long enough, and it becomes a habit.

The research behind that idea is a University College London study by Phillippa Lally and colleagues, published in the European Journal of Social Psychology in 2010. It followed 96 volunteers each building a new daily habit. The median time for the habit to feel automatic was 66 days, with a range from 18 to 254 days, and missing a single day did not undo the progress. So a few months is about right, and an odd missed day is no disaster.

How do you turn yoga into a habit?

Make it obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying. Those are the four “laws” in James Clear’s book Atomic Habits (2018), which asks for a cue, a craving, a response and a reward. Here is how I would apply them to yoga at home.

• Make it obvious: set up a mat and bolster (a firm cushion) beside a wall, and leave it there where you will see it every day.
• Make it attractive: choose a quiet, cool room where nobody will interrupt you.
• Make it easy: start with Legs Up The Wall, which is as simple as a pose gets, and let it lead you into other restful poses.
• Make it satisfying: notice how calm you feel in the pose and as you come out of it. That feeling is the reward.

The research above gives the timing. Practise several times a week and expect it to take a couple of months to feel automatic. A gentle, restful practice is a good way to begin, because it is easy to repeat.

Can you swap an old habit for a yoga habit?

Yes. Keep the reward, and change what you do before it. This is the advice Chris Lalor gives her beginner students.

Say work finishing is your cue to meet friends at a pub or a cafe. You can’t change the cue, and you don’t want to lose the reward of the catch-up. So change the part in between: go to a yoga class first, then meet your friends afterwards. The old reward stays. Only the routine changes.

It worked for me too, long before I found Iyengar yoga again. When I lived in Port Moresby in my late 20s, the late afternoon habit was gin and tonic with friends at home. The cue was getting home from work. The drink was the reward. Then a friend who had just trained as a yoga teacher got a hall at the university, and a group of us started doing yoga after work instead. Within a few months, yoga was the new habit. It followed me to New York and stayed.

How I lost the habit and found it again

Back in Sydney I switched to lap swimming, wrongly thinking I needed more fitness. It took a few months to become a habit. Fifteen years later I was still swimming, but I was stiff, and heavier than I wanted to be. So I went back to Iyengar yoga several times a week, and within months I had my yoga habit back. This time it has stayed.

What helps you keep going to class?

A little structure. A structure is anything that makes it harder to skip, and easier to turn up. Here are the ones I use, and the ones students tell us about.

• Diary: put your classes in the calendar you already use.
• Set times: choose two or more classes a week and treat them like any other appointment.
• A paid pass: having paid makes you more likely to go.
• Family cover: ask a partner to mind the children during class, in the studio or at home.
• Meals sorted: organise dinner for anyone who relies on you.
• A friend: go together, or share a lift.
• Coffee afterwards: a small reward, and a friendly group to belong to.

A class adds three things on top of that: a set time, a teacher who gives you something new each week, and other people. Many students find that set time is what gets them there. Home practice then fills in the rest of the week.

What does it feel like when I miss yoga?

In my experience, a missed day shows. If I miss yoga for a day, I feel more anxious and irritable, and less centred and calm. If I miss a couple of days, I feel my practice slip backwards. When I manage a long session two days in a row, I notice my body works better and my mind is calmer.

That is only my own experience, and it is why I now build more structure around my classes. It is also why the research finding matters: one missed day does not undo a habit. Just go back the next day.

What does yoga philosophy say about habits?

It says every thought and action leaves an impression. In Sanskrit these impressions are called samskaras (deep, mostly unconscious habits of mind). The tradition teaches that as yoga quietens the mind, you start to see your own patterns, and you get the clarity to do things differently.

That is known from long practice, not from a trial. It matches what I found: the body practice came first, and the clearer mind followed.

Tips for starting a daily yoga habit

Make it easy, make it regular, and let the habit do the work. What worked for me:

• Same time, same trigger: I went straight after work, so leaving work became the cue.
• Classes, not just willpower: a timetable and a teacher took the decision out of my hands.
• Start with beginner poses: the basics are where the change begins.
• Do not chase perfection: a missed day does not break a habit.
• Notice the small wins: the shower clasp and the mirror kept me going.

There have been plenty of other surprises and benefits since, but I’ll save those for another time. If you are curious, my earlier post I Was Wrong About Yoga covers some of them.

Is daily yoga good for men?

I think so, and my own experience is the proof I can vouch for. Many men assume yoga is all about flexibility, or that you need to be flexible before you start. Iyengar yoga is active and physical, uses props to make poses doable, and builds strength as well as mobility.

See Yoga For Stiff Guys, Or Anyone and male yoga classes near you for more.

Start your own daily yoga habit in Darwin or live online

Beginner classes run every week, so you can build a routine around them, in the studio, online or both. Our guide to yoga for beginners in Darwin and the note on yoga class levels show what to expect, and one student’s story of starting shows how it can go. For the studio, just come along. For an online class, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.

Related reading: how long to hold yoga poses, can yoga build muscle and yoga for stress relief.

Practise this at Flametree

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online.

• New to Flametree? Your first class is free. In the studio, just come along. Online, go to our online class list, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
• Beginners: new students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. See the beginner half price pass.
• Already practising yoga? The same half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, for new students and for anyone away three months or more, is also available as the non-beginner half price pass.
• See every class time, including online classes, on the timetable.

Can’t make a class? Practise at home with our video courses.

Daily yoga habit: frequently asked questions

How long does it take to build a yoga habit?

For Stuart McGill, it took a few months of daily classes. Research agrees: a 2010 study by Phillippa Lally and colleagues found a median of 66 days for a new daily habit to feel automatic, ranging from 18 to 254 days, and missing one day did not undo progress.

Is it good to do yoga every day?

For many people, regular practice is what brings the changes. Daily practice does not need to be long or hard; beginner poses done most days build the habit. Rest when you are unwell or injured, and learn the poses with a teacher first.

Can yoga change your mindset?

Many students find it does. Stuart found physical practice led to fewer upsets and calmer, more considered responses, more reliably than willpower had. That body-first route to a quieter mind is known from long practice in the Iyengar tradition.

Can yoga build upper body strength?

Yes. Poses with the arms held out, such as Warrior II, and upside-down poses that carry your weight through the arms, build shoulder and arm strength over time. Inversions are learnt in stages with props and a teacher.

Is daily yoga good for men?

Iyengar yoga is active and physical, uses props to make poses doable, and builds strength as well as mobility, so it suits men who are stiff or new to yoga. You do not need to be flexible to start.

What is the best time of day for a yoga habit?

The best time is one you can repeat. Linking practice to a daily cue, such as leaving work or getting up, makes the habit easier to keep.

What if I miss a day of yoga?

Do not worry. Habit research found that missing a single day did not undo progress. Just go back the next day.

How do I make yoga a habit that lasts?

Make it obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying, the four steps from James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. Put your mat where you will see it, start with an easy restful pose such as Legs Up The Wall, notice how calm you feel afterwards, and expect it to take a couple of months.

Can I swap an old habit for a yoga habit?

Yes. Keep the reward and change the routine before it. If finishing work is your cue to meet friends, go to a yoga class first and meet your friends afterwards. Stuart swapped a late afternoon gin and tonic for after-work yoga this way.

Where can I start a yoga habit in Darwin or online?

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online, with beginner classes every week. Your first class is free if you are new to Flametree: in the studio, if you have lived in the NT for three months or more, just come along. Online, for anyone new, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, check with your doctor before starting. Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and LIVE online.

Sources: Lally P, van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts HWW, Wardle J, How are habits formed: modelling habit formation in the real world, European Journal of Social Psychology, 2010, doi 10.1002/ejsp.674. James Clear, Atomic Habits, 2018. Stuart McGill’s own experience and Chris Lalor’s teaching.