10 Tips for beginning your own home yoga practice

Have you ever had that feeling in class that the teacher isn't quite teaching to you? Or that the poses seem easy or somehow routine? If that is the case the problem may not be the teacher or the poses.  The problem or issue may just be that you are not being challenged enough or are being allowed to engage in the practice in a somewhat perfunctory fashion.  If this is the case then it may be time to start a home yoga practice.  Its time to take what you know and have experienced in the studio and practice at home or in the park (a personal favorite of mine).  Maybe you've already considered it but haven't quite gotten around to it. Maybe you don't know exactly how or where to begin.  Here are ten tips that have helped me develop my home practice.

10 Tips for beginning a home practice

1.     Set aside a time and place to practice and (if possible) use it only for practice. Make sure your phone, alarm clocks, and computer are off (or set to silent/sleep). Some people may like to play some music and that is fine but I would urge you to not play anything while starting out.  Limit your external stimuli and your mind will naturally turn inward.

2.     The use of a mirror may be beneficial when starting out.  Over time, though, it may just keep you from progressing.  Rather,  use your senses as you would a mirror. Drawing them inward and deeper than the reflection in the mirror, you will learn how poses FEEL rather than how they merely look.

3.     Keep your yoga gear (mat, strap, block(s), bolster) in plain sight and in the space/area you practice in. Doing this serves as a reminder to practice and will call out to you if you're being lazy.

4.     Create a set of habits or actions that you perform before or after your practice. This gives your brain a cue and will help you initiate your practice and have other activities associated with your practice.

5.     When starting out....keep your practice simple and a little playful.  My yoga teacher always reminds his students to keep a "beginner's/child's mind" while practicing.' In the mind of the beginner there are many options. A child is explorative, not overly self conscious, and almost always playful. Be the same way while beginning your home practice. Always remember that this is YOUR practice, YOUR space, and YOUR time. You know that pose that you've wanted to try but were too fearful or embarrassed to attempt? With a home practice you get to fall, slap the floor with your body, let out emotions, etc. until you can finally get it. When you do finally get it you can let out a loud victory yell or simply move to the next pose.

6.     It may be useful to divide your practice time between something you can do every practice and something that is new for you. For example, you can open with some Surya Namaskaras I&II followed by standing forward folds moving towards seated poses (practiced Vinyasa/Ashtanga style). After working through a predetermined set of poses you then move on to more "experimental" poses perhaps like Sirsasana (Head stand) or Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Hand stand). This way you can drill in the basics, while acquiring new skills.  Practice what you know and what your body likes.  There is no reason why your home practice should be a struggle.  Explore with deeper variations of the poses you know well.

7.    As with studio classes, remember to set an intention for your practice. Even if it is only for fun it is important to acknowledge why you are practicing. In any/every yoga practice the poses are WHAT you are doing, but the intention is there to remind you why.

8.    Also, finish each asana practice with savasana/corpse pose.  It's a simple pose but with a deceptive amount of complexity to master.  For the whole time that you've practiced you've built up steam in your body, accessed deep layers of tissue and applied the power of your breathing to those deeper layers. Corpse pose is there to seal in that heat and give rest to the body. It is very easy to get into the pose but the hard part is staying with the stillness and not allowing your mind to distract you. I always tell myself and students that the work is done and it is time to rest. Disengage the body. Disengage the mind. Rest.

9.      Development of a home practice will ween you off dependence on a studio or teacher. When you are able to take control of your practice then you become accountable to yourself alone. If questions arise, write them down and ask a trusted teacher or consult a book like Light On Yoga. Remember,  classes are for learning. When you feel like you have learned all you can from a teacher then the time may be right to move on to another or challenge yourself by becoming your own teacher.

10.  After savasana the stillness you feel might allow for some meditation.  Sit in a comfortable seated posture like Padmasana (Lotus pose) with an erect spine and your chin slightly tucked toward your chest. Lengthen your breathing slowly. Imagine you are pouring water from one cup into another. In the same way, your breath fills your lungs on the inhale and empties the lungs on the exhale. Let the sound of your breathing take you deeper into a place of serenity. Your mind may begin to interject with stray thoughts. That is okay. Take what your mind is showing you, recognize it for what is and leave it aside. Doing this might take up the time you've allotted to meditate but over time it will become easier to stay in that place of stillness.  After your meditation is over you may want to do another savasana (Corpse pose). If not, then get up slowly and quietly.