Creating A Home Practice
To reap the deep and lasting benefits of yoga you have to practice regularly and consistently with dedication for a long time. There are certainly acute benefits to practicing yoga - after just one practice you may notice that your mood temporarily improves, or your mind feels more calm and you’re more clear-headed. Maybe after just one practice some physical aches and pains are relieved or you get a better night’s sleep. These are all great benefits, but there’s just so much more that yoga can offer.
In the Bhagavad Gita yoga is defined as '“skill in action”. Yoga is a way to live life more skillfully, with a mind that is focused and less agitated, a heart that is more caring and compassionate, and a presence that is more calming and peaceful. But for yoga to fundamentally change your life in these ways dropping in for class a few times a week isn’t enough. And if you’re viewing yoga from a purely physical perspective, the physical benefits you gain from yoga (greater flexibility and mobility, greater strength and increased motor control) are only compounded when your practice is regular and consistent. You wouldn’t expect to gain endurance for running if you went out for a run just once per week, and you wouldn’t expect to build strong muscles if you picked up a barbell just once per week. In the same way, you can’t expect to gain much from practicing yoga just once per week.
With that said, I realize it’s not practical to drive to a studio and attend classes 7 days per week. But you can, with very little time, space, and equipment, develop a home practice to sustain you when you can’t get to a studio. If you are brand new to yoga I strongly encourage you to seek out a studio and a teacher that resonate with you, and begin your yoga journey under the guidance of a skilled and trained teacher who can help you learn how to safely do the postures in your body, teach you about yogic breathing, and give you a primer in yogic philosophy that you can put into action in your life off of the mat. But as you become more familiar with the physical practices of yoga a home practice can be a lovely way to explore in your body, create a practice that is suitable to your energy levels each day, and guarantee that you get to your mat every single day.
To help you create your own home practice I’ve put together a few tips.
CREATE SPACE - Find a dedicated space in your home for your yoga practice. This doesn’t have to be a full room, it can be a cozy corner in your bedroom (that’s where my home practice space is). The point is to have dedicated spot for your practice. Going back to this dedicated spot day in and day out will help signal to your body and mind that it is time for practice.
TIDY UP - You will be able to declutter your mind faster when your practice space is clean and clutter free. You want to have room to stretch and move, as well as something beautiful and calming to set your gaze on. You could create an altar with some meaningful objects like stones and crystals, inspiring quotes or photos, or even just a lovely scented candle and bouquet of flowers.
GET YOUR HOUSEMATES ON BOARD - Your family or roommates may not be interested in practicing yoga with you, but let them know that this time is important to your health and wellbeing and ask them to respect your practice time. If you let them know ahead of time that you’d like to practice without interruption they will be more likely to respect that wish. I have been practicing since my girls were tiny, and while being both a stay at home mom and their homeschool teacher. When my kids were young they were ALWAYS around, but I still made time and space to practice. When they were too young to be on their own for awhile I practiced once my husband was home to watch them, when they were old enough to be on their own for a bit my yoga time was their quiet time, and they went to their rooms to play quietly or read books. There is a way it can work in your family too, you just have to let them know that your practice is a priority for you.
ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS - Keep your phone in another room, put a do not disturb sign on your front door, shut down your laptop. All of these things take you away from your practice, and they will all be there when you finish.
STRUCTURED OR PLAYFUL? - There are a lot of great on-line yoga resources out there (there are a lot of really bad one’s too, so beware). Your home practice can be more structured, following the guidance of a teacher via video. There are also livestream opportunities, and audio podcasts available (we offer all three — members have access to on-demand content, livestream content is offered multiple times throughout the week and I also have an audio podcast with full length classes available). But, your home practice can also be more playful and free flowing. Just take a moment to start moving your body and see what happens.
DON’T SKIP SAVASANA!! - For heaven’s sake, don’t rush through your practice and skip the best part. Savasana has immense benefits, so make time for it. Set a timer if you need to, but please give yourself at least 5 minutes of rest at the end of your practice.