No time? Not an excuse! How to incorporate more yoga into your routine
19.2.2026
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Your intentions were there, but your motivation’s gone south? Let me show you three simple ways to introduce more yoga into your life
Deeply relaxed and wonderfully supple, that’s how I feel after a yoga class. After every yoga class at the gym, mind you. Getting my backside on the mat at home is definitely not my forte. No time, not enough space, too late, too tired, too cold… I have more excuses than asanas.
Fortunately, I’m not the only one struggling. In the yoga classes I go to, we often talk about how we could integrate more yoga into our daily lives. The best tip from my yoga teacher? Prepare and use tools that motivate you. What those might be is very personal. These are my three favourites.
Draw a yoga card
The German-language yoga cards «50 Tage mit Yoga» (50 days with yoga) are a fun way to get one step closer to inner peace. Each card explains an asana or a term from the world of yoga. For example, Warrior III, Om or abdominal breathing. By drawing a card every day, you’re incorporating small relaxation rituals into your routine. Of course, you can also pick out several cards and put together a whole yoga practice based on them.
But careful: although the box says the cards are suitable for yoga newbies, not every exercise is. For example, you should only attempt pigeon pose if you’ve thoroughly stretched your hips and are generally quite flexible. If not, it will be very painful.
Source: Ars Edition
Create a yoga corner
Are «There’s no space in my flat» or «I can’t be bothered getting the mat out» also some of your favourite excuses? If so, here’s the painful truth: it’s not your apartment that’s the problem, it’s you. The size of a yoga mat is about 70 × 180 centimetres. That’s smaller than a sofa, smaller than a bed, smaller than most halls. So it’s simply not true that you don’t have enough space. You’re just not using it right. So rearrange your room, move the bed to another wall or get rid of that chest of drawers.
And then set up a permanent yoga corner. A mat with good grip, a comfy bolster for deep stretches and maybe a few candles or incense to set the mood. You’ll be surprised how inviting your yoga corner will look every day.
If you’re too attached to your chest of drawers you’d need to get rid of, at least keep your yoga stuff in sight. This’ll make you remember your yoga practice more often.
Breathe, just breathe
Mindful breathing techniques are the fastest way to incorporate more yogic exercises into a hectic life. After all, you can do them anytime, any place. Breathe in, count to four, hold your breath and count to seven, breathe out and count to eight. Repeat the whole exercise a few times. You can also place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach to feel the air circulating in your body.
What’s known as 4-7-8 breathing involves breathing out twice as long as you breathe in, thereby calming your nervous system. This technique helps me when I’m hopping from one task to the next without taking a break. 4-7-8 breathing forces you to pause for a moment.
If you want to learn more about breathing exercises, I can recommend this book.
Header image: Pixabay
Anika Schulz
Teamleader Editorial
Anika.Schulz@galaxus.deAs a child, I was socialised with Mario Kart on SNES before ending up in journalism after graduating from high school. As a team leader at Galaxus, I'm responsible for news. I'm also a trekkie and an engineer.
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