The Yoga of Showing Up
Some seasons can be harder than others, both the seasons of life and the seasons of nature. For me winter can be a season of contradictions, one minute I’m hibernating like a bear, cozy and lazy, the next jumping into the icy water feeling elated. Our energy changes and this can affect how we show up for our yoga practice. Reflecting on my personal practice during the winter and recognising my patterns clearly now, I am a believer that consistency matters more than quantity. It’s easy to become discouraged from showing up to our daily practice because we only have the time or energy for ten or fifteen minutes. We tell ourselves it’s pointless unless we can make it to a full hour long class.
But consistently showing up, even for five minutes, builds the muscle of growth and sends a powerful message to ourselves:
I am the kind of person who shows up and does the practice.
And that message matters more than we realise.
Letting Go of the Perfect Practice
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking our yoga practice has to be a full length class, a long meditation, or an intense routine to count. If we can’t do it fully, we often do nothing at all.
This mindset can rob us of the beauty of finding those few minutes that often improve the quality of our day. It quietly damages our self-esteem because it sets a pace we can’t sustain over time. Accepting that life moves in cycles and some days are spacious and energised, while others feel long and heavy is a good reminder. Even 3 intentional breaths as you wake in the morning contribute to your wellbeing.
On those heavier days, showing up in a small way is enough.
A five-minute meditation, a few stretches, or a short breathing practice still keeps the connection to your mat alive. Even a five-minute stretch followed by a 5 minute savasana can be a meaningful practice.
Small practices count.
Consistency Creates Momentum
It is the consistency of returning to our mat that keeps us moving forward. Even when the pace is slower than we would like, something within us continues to shift and grow.
Without regular practice we can begin to feel stagnant, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Consistency helps keep our energy moving and supports our overall wellbeing.
A regular practice can support:
Physical wellbeing
- Building and maintaining strength and mobility
- Reducing tension and stiffness
- Improving sleep and recovery
Mental wellbeing
- Support clarity and focus
- Calm the nervous system
- Provide space to pause and breathe
Emotional wellbeing
- Increase resilience
- Improved self awareness
- A deeper sense of self trust
Even a short daily practice helps prevent stagnation. Growth does not always happen in big leaps, I ve found that often it unfolds quietly through steady repetition and over time.
The Muscle of Showing Up
Each time you roll out your mat, sit down to meditate, or take a few conscious breaths, you strengthen what I call the muscle of showing up.
Those five-minute practices can become the foundation for a consistent practice. They build the habit of showing up.
Over time, this becomes part of your identity. You begin to trust yourself more deeply because you know you will show up, even when it isn’t easy.
Those small moments accumulate over the week, the month, and the year. Five minutes here and there, adds up to hours of care that could otherwise have been lost.
Five minutes is always more powerful than no minutes at all.
Recognising Your Consistency
Take time to recognise the ways you already show up in your life. Perhaps you go for regular walks, take quiet moments with a cup of tea, stretch before bed, or pause to breathe during a busy day.
These small acts matter.
Every single time you show up for yourself you build inner strength and self-respect.
Progress happens in the small decisions we make to show up, even in a less than perfect way.
So if you take one thing from this post:
Commit to showing up on the days when you only have five minutes.
Five minutes of breathing.
Five minutes of meditation.
Five minutes of gentle movement.
Those minutes matter more than you think.
They build the habit of caring for yourself. They strengthen the muscle of showing up. And slowly, quietly, they create lasting change.
It’s worth having a few short practices that you can turn to on the days it feels impossible to squeeze in a practice. This can be as simple as moving through child pose to down dog, a short sequence of stretches, a simple breath work practice or a short 5 minute YouTube video to guide you through some simple moves. Pretty soon you’ll have your own accessible toolbox to reach for. Check out this short breath work practice to support you on days you don’t have time for more
