Welcome to the second installment of Yoga Manchester’s Yoga Helpline  feature. Every month, we’ll be providing useful tips and advice on subjects relating to your yoga and meditation practice. Please send in any questions you may have and we’ll do our best to shed some light on your query!

Q: I can’t be bothered to practise, what should I do?

A: Oh, we know that conundrum very well. From having to be physically shoved out of the front door to exclaiming the various reasons why we could not possibly go – we’ve all met the forceful resistance to practise! Even when a practice develops and becomes more regular, there are still days and weeks we can’t be bothered to get out of bed and stand on the mat, however, the disingenuous excuses no longer hold as much sway; increasingly, the wants of the vocal ego are recognised for what they are: momentary and pleasure-seeking. For the most time, just allowing these thoughts to run their course while practising regardless tends to do the trick. That said, the body can sometimes feel too tired for an energetic asana practice such as Ashtanga, which is where complementary, alternative sequences such as Matthew Sweeney’s Chandra Krama are really beneficial. The ‘bare minimum’ (five Sun Salutation A, three Sun Salutation B, and the three finishing postures) of the Ashtanga series is a great way to appease the mind with only a 10 minute practice as opposed to pushing yourself to do 90 minutes; often the energy and will power required to step on the mat is much greater than the asana practice itself. With that in mind, roll out your mat and see how it goes. Remember, if you really don’t want to practice, you don’t have to. Here’s some wise words from the King of Ashtanga, David Swenson: