How Do I Start My Home Yoga Practice?
Do you intend to roll our your yoga mat during the holidays but then it never seems to happen? I find that students can be afraid to start a home yoga practice without the guidance of a teacher. Don’t let this stop you! If you aren’t sure where to start then just unroll your mat and come into shavasana then see where it takes you. If you come to class regularly then you will be surprised what you remember. Your body will remember so try not to think about it too much. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get a clear idea of how you will approach your home yoga practice.
Finding time and a place to practice at home can be difficult. As an experienced practitioner this is still something I juggle but it’s not impossible, honest! Setting achievable goals and having reasonable expectations is the key. Perhaps a commitment to 5 minutes of practice most mornings or evenings if that works better. Keep it simple and slot it in where it is easy and likely to cause the least disruption to other daily tasks. What time of the day works for me and how long will I practice for?
Finding Space For A Home Yoga Practice
Unless you have a spare room or live alone, the space that might be the quietest during the day could be the bedroom. It’s a place many students overlook but is sitting unused during the day. You really don’t need much space to practice, particularly if you are going to start with some meditation or pranayama (breathing). Practicing yoga are on my list of things that are fine do to in the bedroom and won’t ruin the sanctity of this quiet space. Where will I do my home yoga practice?
Some things to get started with include; laying in shavasana and seeing where it takes you as I already mentioned above. Practicing a breathing technique like nadi shodana (alternate nostril breathing) click here for more information. A modified salute to the sun sequence that you can do for a few rounds. I’ve included a video below of me practicing this. The first side (right) shows a modification for the step through to lunge as that can be quite a tricky part of the sequence. The left side shows the step through to lunge if you feel up to it. There are many variations of this sequence and it’s a yoga “staple”. If you attend classes with me then you would have practiced this version before. What will I practice when I come onto my yoga mat?
There are many ways to modify but I couldn’t possibly post them all here! If you’re new to yoga, injured or restricted then I suggest you don’t follow the sequence until you have consulted face to face with a yoga teacher or even better, a yoga therapist.
Enjoy the video and happy practicing, be fearless x
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About Charleyoga & Charley Hickey
Author: Charley Hickey C-IAYT is a practicing yoga therapist and senior yoga teacher who runs group and private yoga classes in Applecross, Bateman & Fremantle, Perth. She also runs specialised yoga workshops for yoga students & yoga teachers.