Though the practice of yoga is highly subjective and evolves over time, the goal is to create a routine from basics and build upon it over time. This is a never-ending journey.

Though yoga is an avenue for spiritual and mental growth, adequate nutrition and creating a healthy diet for yourself is critical to your success within and beyond the practice.

Proper rest and sometimes taking a step back to recover will only help you grow as a practitioner. This requires listening to your body for signals of pain and fatigue while stepping outside of your comfort zone.

They form the building blocks of the body. During the day, body takes wear and tear and needs to be repaired. Proteins help with this process while serving as raw materials for creating new muscles. They can come from plant and animal sources where plant protein are incomplete while animal proteins are complete sources of essential amino acids.

Though proteins can be potentially used by the body as fuel, the body utilizes either fats or carbohydrates as the main fuel sources. Proteins are extremely important and the demand for it increases as your physical activity levels increase.

Carbohydrates are molecules that can be used as fuels by turning into simple sugars that can be used as fuel for the body.

Main sources of carbohydrates are sugars, starches, grains, vegetables and fruits but they also also exist in smaller quantities in nuts. Trace amounts can be found in animal products as well. Depending on your goals and athletic requirements, carbohydrates can provide you with rapidly available fuel that can potentially improve your performance and results.

Fats are another source of fuel for the body and are prioritized to be burnt when consumption of carbohydrates is restricted or removed or under extreme endurance routines. The body, under such states, taps into fat as a long term fuel to maintain its performance.

Fats are primarily found in animal products, nuts and seeds. They can be further extracted to make butters, ghee, tallow and various oils.

Yoga can be very simple to basic breath work while in a simple pose or as complicated as a series of advanced poses that requires a deep understanding of the body, developed mobility and proper control of breathing. It is best to start simple and understand our limitations before pushing past them.

Breathing is key when it comes to yoga. Focusing on the exhale and inhale, from the quality of breath to the flow of the breath in your body, will help you focus more on your practice and develop a mindful practice.

Though the goal should be to improve and refine the practice, it's ok and perfectly fine to step back and transition back to an easier pose.

Many times it is easy to look at social media or the practitioners around us and feel a bit low. However, you should focus on your own journey as it will be different from other people. Your progress is what matters above all.  

When practicing, focus on the inhale and exhale while noting the quality of breath. Sometimes visualizing the flow of the breath from nostrils to lungs within the body can be a great focus point.

You can also focus on the areas of the body that are under tension or load because of the pose you are holding. You can note how it feels, how slight adjustments can relax or allow you to get deeper into the pose. You can also observe the muscles as you are transitioning from one pose to another.

Yoga doesn't require extensive equipment.Your practice should be based on your goals and how much time you have. Dedicate at least 10 minutes per practice to have a mindful practice. Focus on quality rather than quantity.

The success of a practice depends on creating routines and healthy habits. Yoga is no different. Whether you spend 10 minutes or an hour, ensure that you make it sustainable. Commit to doing it at a specific time and for a specific period of time whether alone or with a class.

Many people fall into the trap that being sore is what makes a yoga practice. This can be counterproductive as proper rest and nutrition can help repair muscle damage and preparing for the next session. Progress over soreness!

Holding a pose in a series or in isolation for slightly longer can help you increase the load and potentially creating progressive overload.

Yoga poses can be varied based on your limitations and goals. Find the simplest variation and ensure proper posture and form. Then advance accordingly.

Yoga can help develop balance, strength, mobility and flexibility alongside mindfulness, improved breath work and focus. You should evaluate your progress on all these domains and even improvements in life outside of your practice such as relationships with family and loved ones.

You can decrease rest time between each pose. This will potentially engage your cardiovascular system and improve your endurance as well.

Alongside form, you can also record your own practice and perform movements slowly with more control rather than explosiveness.