Keys to a Good Practice

The best thing I can do as a fitness instructor is give you the tools to practice anything discipline well. These tools will be simple but thats because they are the foundation. The foundation is simple because its job is to be hearty (read filled out, fleshed out, deep, robust, wide). Any foundation for any discipline is critical for becoming better so please read these keys carefully and take them to heart.

1.) Attention on the physical body through all senses

2.) Attention on the breath

3.) Conscious relaxation (or conscious intensity)

4.) Faith in your body as determined by your goals (not your past attempts)

Make sure that your goals are reasonable (don’t try to jump before you learn to stand)

That’s it! Sounds simple enough right? But do me a favor and think back to your last practice of anything (a yoga class, a run, and walk, a weight-lifting session), did you do any of these things? Did you do any of them well? Hopefully, you are already attempting to master these tools but if not it’s a good thing you read this post.

Any instructor worth their salt will do their best to have their clients/students keep these keys in mind throughout their practice, but they can’t do these things for you. Learning to use these keys is the main thing that you must teach yourself, and you do that outside of the training session. These keys to a good session are also great keys to living a good life. You’ll notice that anyone who seems like a “master” or at least seems to have their life together will have a solid grasp on these fundamentals.

Warning! The following is a plug for meditation (meditation averse peoples beware)!

These tools are the focus and result of many meditation practices and meditation is one of the best ways to get there. Practicing meditation is essentially a practice that has been stripped down to these fundamentals. While I don’t think meditation is necessary for a good life, I think these tools are. There it is, really short plug but I hope you see some truth in it.

Consider what you read today before you head out to your next class, I think you will notice a dramatic difference in the way you perform and feel about your practice.

Happy Breathing!