Yoga: Home practice advice

Going to yoga classes is really fun but what about the days when you can’t make it to class, can’t afford a class or your usual classes have broken up for a Christmas break?  On these days, it’s really nice to do some yoga at home.

So for those of you unable to make the step from attending class to sun saluting at home, here are here are 8 tips to get you started on a well rounded home practice….

Enjoy! Sarah O x

1: Same time, same place

Schedule a regular time and place to practice.  Personally I find early mornings the easiest time to stick to. It is said that it just takes 3 weeks to form a habit.  So schedule a weekly yoga plan that is realistic and maintainable, and then write it in your diary, stick it on the fridge, tell your other half about your plan, or do anything you think may help you stick to it for the first 3 weeks.

2: Create a Satisfying Practice

Regardless of what you actually do, make sure that your practice is an expression of how you are feeling in that moment.  So if you’ve just got off a plane perhaps make your practice a more gentle restorative practice, or maybe you’re feeling very wound up after an argument at work in which case channel that energy into a more physically challenging practice.  This will help create a more satisfying practice and thus help give you the impetus to practice again tomorrow.

3: Warm up: Sun Salutation

The sun salutation can be the core of a home practice.  Learn this sequence of postures and you always know where to start when you put down your mat.

Click here for a Sun salutation video that you can follow:

4: Choosing appropriate Asana (Postures)

To create a well-rounded practice, you should include one or more postures from each of the posture groups.  The basic groups are:

- Standing poses:  includes poses like triangle pose, warrior poses, and tree pose.

- Arm balances:  such as crow pose and plank pose.

- Inversions:  legs up the wall pose is a good place to start. Or more advanced inversions such as shoulder stand, plough and headstand (I do advise you learn these from a qualified teacher as they are more advanced).

- Forward bends:  the most common being paschimottananasana (seated forward bend)

- Backbends: such as cobra, locust and bow pose.

- Restorative postures: such as child’s pose, down dog, shavasana.

-   And Twists: Twists can be performed sitting or standing in between all posture groups.

5: Sequence your practice

When starting your practice it is best to practice the pose groups in roughly the same order as my list above.  Standing poses first, inversions, forward bends, backward bends ending with restorative poses.  Twists can be fit into the practice as you feel the need

As you move forward with your home practice, you may well find that there are areas that you want to focus on.  For example the shoulders or the hips, and this may well change week to week.  Do go with that feeling and add variations and longer holds to specific groups to target specific areas.

6: When to Counter Pose

Always remember to pay attention to the effects of a pose before you choose the next pose. If you choose a counter pose, be careful not to move to the most extreme opposite movement right away. Instead, proceed gradually toward that movement, using several intermediate movements to get there.

7: Awareness is Key

No matter how you pace your practice or what postures you choose, please keep in mind that the point of practice is not just simply to become more adept at the poses or to improve your health. It is about awareness.   If your home practice draws you deeper into such awareness, it will achieve its most important purpose-and it will also create a momentum of consistency and a sense of accomplishment, pleasure, and well-being.

8: Always end with at least 5 minutes relaxation

You deserve it!

For further information:

The books I would recommend are The New Book of Yoga by Sivananda Vedanta Centre and Yoga Mind and Body by the Sivananda Vedanta Centre

The SKY TV channel I would recommend is the Body in Balance channel 275

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