There are countless reasons to instill an at-home yoga practice into your life. A few of which are:
1) You don't have to depend on your local studio offering classes when you're able to attend
2) You can do it at any time and for any amount of time
3) You get the chance to deepen your understanding in a low-stakes environment
4) All practice is good practice
5) It's free!
However, starting your own at-home practice can be daunting. I was 3 years (3 years, guys!) into my yoga practice before I felt like I even had the ability to do my own practice - in regards to safety as well as legitimacy. What I realized though is that I don't need to be an expert to teach myself and to improve. And neither do you.
"What I realized though is that I don't need to be an expert to teach myself and to improve. And neither do you."
Here are some easy steps toward building your at-home practice - something I promise you won't regret:
1. Make a Space to Practice (& Leave Your Mat Out!)
This may seem basic, but it is so important. If you didn't have a kitchen, you'd be hard-pressed to cook; if you don't have a yoga space, you'll be hard-pressed to practice. Now the nice thing is that as long as you have room for a mat, you have room to practice. Maybe it is in your bedroom or maybe in that dining room your family rarely uses. I use an empty corner of my living room. As you begin to practice and associate this space with your practice, you will find it easier and easier to step onto the mat.
And seriously - leave your mat out (if at all possible). There are so many times when you will walk by it and, simply because it is there, step onto it. I bet you my practice frequency nearly tripled when I started leaving my mat out. It didn't match my living room decor and originally I felt odd about it, but there was no denying the power of it, and now I view it as a little sanctuary in my living room and don't mind the look at all.
"And seriously - leave your mat out (if at all possible). There are so many times when you will walk by it and, simply because it is there, step onto it."
Make it cozy by adding a blanket or your favorite yoga books or by bringing a cup of tea. Find a good Pandora station to set the tone (I use "Yoga Workout Radio" and love it). The more enjoyable and nourishing you make it, the more likely you are to stay consistent with it.
2. Use Videos
It is intimidating to try and sequence out a whole practice, so don't put that stress on yourself to start. In order for this to become an enduring habit, you have to actually enjoy. So check out YouTube or NetFlix or Amazon Prime. Find a teacher/style/etc you like, and ease yourself into practicing at your house in a weightless way. I am a big fan of these classes which are ~40 minute intermediate level courses done in the vinyasa style I like, so these videos were a huge help to me when I took my practice out of the studio.
3. Utilize the Basics
Everytime you get on the mat, do the basics: some seated breathing, cat-cow, a few vinyasas (down dog --> plank --> lower --> cobra/updog --> down dog --> forward fold --> mountain pose) , etc. These series are basics for a reason. They are fundemental and help you warm up your body and build strength and awareness necessary for all the other poses. Jumping into your practice by starting with familiar sequences is also great in that it doesn't require any planning and you can just get on the mat and start moving.
This brings me to my caution with at-home practice: be very careful and conscious of alignment. Videoing yourself can help here (you can watch the video and see if your hips are square in dancer or if your lower back is straight in boat pose) -- making corrections in this manner not only helps you to develop an eye for a pose, but it also helps you develop a feel for it. Be cautious also when trying new poses. Make sure your body is warm and that you get in and out of the pose is a slow and easy manner (props are your BFF for this). Remember that anytime you feel any sharpness or pain, you should instantly back off. It is okay to feel a bit uncomfortable, but you should never feel in pain.
4. Cultivate Curiosity. Watch Other People's Flows
One of the coolest parts of social media is that you can hop onto Instagram and look up #yogaflows and instantly have thousands of mini videos at your fingertips. I LOVE these little series. You can watch a 30 second flow and then bring it to your own mat to try out a new little sequence that you can later incorporate into a larger flow of your own. This is so much of how I have built my own practice -- one little 3-5 movement sequence at a time. You'll find transitions that you like and movements that feel good, and it will be exciting for you to get to practice these.
5. Focus in on Particular Body Parts
As a high school teacher, trust me when I say that relevance matters to students. And as students of yoga, it helps us to show up on our mat in ways that directly connect to whatever else we may be experiencing. For example, I have scoliosis. To improve my back health I have to keep a strong back and core and work on spinal flexibility. Therefore, I often have practices that revolve around core strength or back bends because I see so much benefit in my daily life. Of course we want to have well-rounded practices that don't obssess over any one thing (I see this particularly with fancy poses like handstands), but each body is different and some bodies need some poses more than others. And that's okay.
6. Record (Whether in Writing or Via Video) Sequences You Enjoy
This can be daunting, but it is huge. Let's say you do a flow wherein you go from tree pose to eagle pose to warrior III. If you enjoy that sequence, write it down or take a quick video of it. Recording the series will help you to better remember it and be able to incorporate it later down the line.
I often look at old videos and think "Oh man, I used to ALWAYS do that pose and now I haven't done it in ages!" or "Wow, that transition was cool; I should try it again." -- Our practice evolves as a new pose or sequence spikes our interest, and we often forget what we had once done. That's fine, but it can be really satisfying to revisit an "old" sequence or pose and rework it for where your practice is at currently.
No matter what...
...the most important thing to remember is that you are here for you. Yoga is not just poses; some days you will need to just sit and breathe. Other days you will need to move for a full 90 minutes. Listen to your body and push it in gentle yet enouraging ways, and see what your practice brings up and where it takes you.
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