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For many of us, doing yoga is at the top of a to-do list, but for some reason, we never follow through on our good intentions. Despite yoga being one of the best ways to stay fit, look good, and feel great, starting and maintaining a consistent yoga practice is tough.

It’s not hard to figure that what stops most of us from going beyond finding where to buy the best yoga pants is that finding a class/DVD that suits our individual physical, mental, and emotional needs take a lot of work.

Luckily, we have some tips to help you get started.

• Class or DVD

The first option for learning yoga should always be a face-to-face class, but if there are no available classes or gyms in your residential area, DVDs are the next best thing. Keep your eyes open for DVDs that includes both a shorter morning workout and a more thorough yoga routine centered around accessible beginner yoga poses. If you run a tight schedule, then your priorities should be DVDs that show some calm workouts designed to fit perfectly into the rhythms of your hectic day, without wearing you out altogether.

• Space

If you choose to do your yoga at home, you must find a comfortable spot where stretching on a mat doesn’t mean you will be bumping into cars, tables, fans, beds, etc. You also need a space where nobody can form a distraction with their comments and observations.

• Early Riser

According to experts, yoga is best practiced during sunrise when the mind is free of thoughts and the world is still at peace. This ideology means you would get more from yoga if you practiced between the hours of 4 am and 6 am. However, if you cannot wake up that early, don’t skip! Instead, practice immediately you wake up.

• Empty Stomach

Experts also claim that practicing on an empty stomach or at least 2-3 hours after your last meal, is ideal. According to them, when practicing yoga, you are much more in tune with your body’s understated feelings than at any other point, and practicing with food in your stomach unavoidably leads to uneasiness. Eating before practicing can also cause feelings of heaviness, and can interrupt the digestion process.

• Yoga Routine

You need to determine what your mind and body need – something upbeat, peaceful or maybe restorative. The more yoga you do, the more you realize that different practices have various effects and moods. Eventually, you will discover what your body and mind need no matter the time of day.

• Talk to Your Doctor and Yoga Instructor

While yoga poses are easy for almost anybody to learn, some people take it a step further and end up with an injury. So before you commence on the journey, let your doctor know and keep yourself updated with your physical limitations. If you have a health condition and are a part of a class, explain to your yoga instructor, so s/he knows not to push you too far.

• Take Your Time

You need to take your time and do only as much as you can easily can within a period. You can use your breathing pattern to monitor your exhaustion level – when it is light and long, that’s a sign your muscles are beginning to relax, but your breath is uneven, it means you need to take a break.

• Focus

You need to take your eyes off how cute the yoga pants look and focus on actually practicing and sticking with yoga. You can stretch wearing your pajamas, and no one would care. Mostly, you must avoid wearing excessive jewelry, as it can get in the way of yoga practice.

• Savor Every Moment of It

Don’t be in a hurry to get up and start getting the tasks of the day done. Instead, take a few moments to enjoy the moment and allow your body a moment of rest after a long, tiring practice. Savoring the moment will help cool down the body and completely relax the mind and body after a session.

• Practice

As is typical of a lot of things, continuous practice will lead to more sustainable and enjoyable benefits. Not only will regular exercise get you closer to your aim of touching your toes or doing a headstand or staying in the downward-facing dog position but regular practice will also train your body.

Continuous practice will lead you to have a peaceful state of mind that spreads to life outside of yoga.