Let's discuss what motivates and/or hinders us to come to yoga class, (or zumba).

I was reading through an article that listed what motivated some yogis to attend class. A few reasons mentioned were, "It makes me feel good!", "It provides the discipline that I don't have on my own.", etc. What are your reasons for attending?

What hinders you from coming to class? Be honest. Maybe another yogi struggles with the same issue(s) and we can help each other.

Love the gentle yoga - sometimes I get on a roll and attend class at least 2x a week. But sometimes, with 3 kids in 3 different schools and their activities, my schedule spreads out all over the place. Then there are other times where life just gets in the way - extended family in for extended visits, class parties, contractors at the house, if school's out got to get a babysitter, the list goes on. It's cyclical though - all that craziness makes me need yoga

Thank you for your comments. Glad you like the gentle classes and you are one step ahead of a lot of people, in that you know you need yoga!

At our recent "Day of Nurturing" we all made a 3 column list. The columns were "like", "dislike" and "ambivalent about". We listed things that we do and have to do, under each column. It's surprising how the "ambivalent about" things are time wasters, such as surfing the web for extended periods of time, etc. Go over your list and see where you can make some changes in order to free up some time. Maybe you can get some help doing the things in your "dislike" column.

One topic we discussed was asking for help. How often do we, as women, feel as though we need to take on everything without ever thinking of asking for help? If you don't already, maybe you can carpool with another mom to school and/or activities to free up some time. Be creative!

We all need to learn to say no. Be aware of when you are feeling overwhelmed, or have just enough on your plate. When you are asked again to volunteer, etc., say no without feeling guilty or feeling the need to give an excuse.

We are nurturers. But, in order to nurture others, we need to take care of ourselves first. It isn't a selfish thing. You can't drink from a dry well!

Time is always a big factor for me. One thing I've learned, and not only applied to exercise but also eating right, is that you have to enjoy what you are doing (or eating) or else you will ALWAYS find an excuse to not participate. Putting my health first is a priority for me so that I can help others do the same. If you don't like what you are doing you probably won't make it a priority in your life.

My main motivation is my love of yoga. During my late 50's, I realized I had lost my flexibility and balance. I've moved into my 60's now and regained so much of the flexibility and balance I had lost. I breath deeper and am able to clear/calm my mind whenever I need it. I love to start my week with a Gentle Yoga class then move it up with Zumba and Yoga with Weights.