Refresh your workout: Online Yoga

Getting stuck in a workout rut - whether it's yoga, running, or at the gym - is all too easy to do. Our bodies quickly learn to adjust to a regular routine, so it's always good to push ourselves a bit more - or try something totally different. That's where Kat, our BTHOUGHTFUL blog contributor and founder of online yoga and wellbeing site Movement For Modern Life, comes in. She's big on shaking up yoga practices in particular, and puts the emphasis on trying all the different disciplines. Here she is with a few great ideas…

Time to try something new?

"We all have a different view of life. I take the 'buffet' approach to life, yet I admire those who have the 'a la carte' view. In the buffet approach, I want a little taste of everything. I'm easily distracted, lose focus, but really enjoy taking in everything life has to offer. In fact, once I try something and love it, it makes me want to try other things, because I wonder how much I’d love them too! I admire those of you with the 'a la carte' approach as when you find something you love, you keep digging deeper. The wonderful advantage of that approach is, of course, a deeper knowledge of whatever the subject matter is. I've practiced yoga for over 20 years now. I started with Ashtanga and then went onto practice Vinyasa in various forms. Now I do pretty much everything from Hatha to Jivamukti to Forrest yoga (have you tried it? It's amazing!). I still love Vinyasa, but also love Yin and Restorative yoga, especially at home when I practice online - often in the garden or in front of a roaring fire in winter. Summer is a fantastic time to try something different, shake things up a bit. Although I love the depth and wisdom of those who commit to a certain teacher and practice, I know that sometimes things get 'stuck'. Sometimes things that worked for you a few years back just aren't working for you as well now, and maybe you’re not looking elsewhere. I would, however, really like you to just see what it's like in the 'buffet' world, if only for the summer. You may find that going to a whole new class, paying and dedicating a few hours of your life to something new is a bit too much of an investment into an uncertain return. When I created Movement for Modern Life, an online yoga video website, I wanted it to feature the very best of all kinds of different teachers and disciplines. That's why you'll find everything From Ashtanga and Vinyasa, to Forrest and Hatha yoga (great for sleeping well, energising, bad backs, PMT, cycling… the list goes on!). There’s also Yin, Restorative and even yoga with Qi Gong. There is a very specific reason why I love the breadth of the site I have created - because every day I wake up with a slightly different body and mind, which crave a slightly different practice for my overall wellbeing. I've also created progressive series' with a particular focus (e.g. beginners or core strength), so that these could have lots of different styles of yoga to practice with. And I’ve had some beautiful testimonials from folks who have said that when they are on their holiday, they've been trying out different types of yoga. Maybe by the pool, or with many different teachers – their joy of finding new teachers and styles is immeasurable. Why not try something different too?" Explore Movement for Modern Life and the Beginner's Challenge here.

Win an Online Yoga Subscription

We've teamed up with Kat to offer you the chance to win an annual subscription to Movement For Modern Life (worth £131). Movement for Modern Life is the UK's online yoga and wellbeing site, revolutionising online yoga with hundreds of videos from the leading teachers, across all styles, in the UK and beyond. AS SEEN IN: Vogue Online, Tatler, Harpers Bazaar, the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times, Good Housekeeping, Om Yoga Magazine, Evening Standard, Metro, Prima, Red Online, Women's Fitness. This competition is now CLOSED. Plan on trying Kat's online yoga classes? Let us know how you get on with a note in the comments box below or a post on Facebook.