Developing regular Yoga practise

I like yoga as I always felt happier after a practise. With this passion that I had for yoga, a regular self-practise is needed to progress further. In the midst of YTT, I discovered that there are so many areas that I need to strengthen. Hence, I started to take micro changes in my lifestyle.
I give up weekends outing and gradually increase the frequency of practise. Time is scared as I am still working full time but I try to practise whenever I have the time, anywhere as long as there’s is a wall. I make use of the wall for inversions and balance, and find the gym and home a good place for self-practise. If possible, I ask friends and family for help to spot my alignment.
On weekdays, I wake up earlier in the morning to do sun salutation and headstand. At noon time, I will go over to a gym near my office and practise for 30 minutes. After work, I either go to yoga classes near my home or do my own self-practise at home. Every weekend when I go back to YTT, it seems to be another judgment day of how much I have learnt for the week.
At times, it felt overwhelming and tiring. But talking to fellow course mates and reading the funny group chats, I learnt that everyone is going through the same thing. I also have deep admiration for the mothers in our course as they have to juggle work, kids as well as practise. Training with my course mates who work towards the same goal helps me to maintain a positive attitude.
Getting proper rest and taking good care of the body is important too. I become aware of the need to rest properly to allow the body to fully recover after yoga practise. There are some days that the body just does not have any stamina, and I felt lethargic at work. I add in Friday as a designated rest day so that I can recuperate for lessons on weekends. I consume more protein food for muscle recovery, and add recovery food like protein shakes, eggs, coconut water and berries into my diet.
And lastly, practice aparigraha (letting go) at yoga practise. Sometimes, I will feel frustrated when I cannot get a pose, no matter how much I try. There’s a tendency to look around me and feel inferior when people are doing it so easily. I try to overcome this negativity feelings and let go of the need to compare. I concentrate on my own practise and stop coveting after what other have.
ZJ Chung