5 Ways to Make Getting to Yoga Class the Easy Choice

As we move into a new year, many of us set intentions to practice yoga more consistently. And just as often, we quietly wonder why it can feel so hard to actually get ourselves to class — even when we know it’s good for us.

I recently read a New York Times essay called “Willpower Doesn’t Work. This Does.” It offered a helpful reframe: consistency usually isn’t about trying harder in the moment. It’s about creating the conditions that make the right choice easier.

In other words, if getting to yoga class feels like a struggle, it’s probably not a motivation issue. It’s an environment issue.

Here are a few simple ways to shape your daily life so coming to the studio feels more natural, more supported, and less like an internal negotiation.

1. Decide before the week begins

One of the biggest drains on consistency is decision fatigue. If you wait until the end of the day to decide whether you’re going to class, you’re asking willpower to do all the work.

Instead:

  • Choose your class days and times in advance, and make reservations on line so we know you’re coming

  • Put them on your calendar like any other appointment

When the decision is already made, your job is just to follow through — not debate.

2. Reduce the friction of leaving the house

Small obstacles add up. The more steps there are between you and the studio, the easier it is to opt out.

Try:

  • Packing your yoga bag the night before

  • Keeping it by the door or in your car

  • Laying out clothes that are easy to change into

When going to class is physically easier, it becomes mentally easier too.

3. Anchor yoga to something you already do

Habits stick best when they’re linked to a reliable cue. This is called “habit stacking”

For example:

  • After work → straight to yoga

  • After dinner → evening class

  • Same class, same day, every week

When yoga naturally follows another part of your routine, it starts to feel automatic rather than optional.

4. Let community do some of the work

We’re not meant to do everything alone — and consistency is no exception.

You might:

  • Come with a friend, accountability partnerships are powerful

  • Choose a class where you recognize familiar faces

  • Let someone know you’re planning to be there so they are expecting you

A sense of connection and expectation can gently support you on days when motivation is low.

5. Make the studio your most supportive environment

If home is full of distractions — phones, chores, couches — let the studio be something different.

The studio can be:

  • A place where you don’t multitask, and there are no chores for you to do

  • A space to breathe, move, and reset

  • Time you protect for yourself

When the studio clearly offers something your other environments don’t, choosing it becomes easier.

The takeaway

Consistency doesn’t come from forcing yourself to be more disciplined. It comes from designing your life so the practices you value fit smoothly into it.

You don’t need perfect attendance. You don’t need endless motivation. You just need to stack the odds in your favor — one thoughtful choice at a time.

I look forward to practicing together in the year ahead.

Carrie Klaus