Before I became a yoga teacher, and I was just beginning my yoga journey, I knew that I wanted to dedicate as much time as possible improving my personal yoga practice.
Even as a teacher continuinig education and is a pivotal part of my experience and creating an at-home yoga practice has been a pivotal part of my continued growth as a yoga practitioner. I love creating a chill ambiance at my place before hitting the mat for an awesome flow. It’s soothing to my mind, body and spirit. Here are some of tips to help you start your home yoga practice.
Here’s how to start your home yoga practice.
1. Choose an open quiet space that inspires you.
I started my home yoga practice in a cozy apartment and would practice yoga in my living room area. I’ve moved into a larger home but still have limited space inside of the home that allows me to have a little bit more space to move. I’m a minimalist when it comes to decorating so I have plenty of space to move around and a nice, large wall to use for support in different poses. I usually move furniture when possible to create a little extra room. Fromt there I dim the lights, light a candle and turn on a yoga playlist and move my body.
2. Create an home yoga schedule and stick to it.
I practice yoga at least 3 days per week and usually M-F. Sometimes I engage in mindful movement for 20 minutes and others I will go up to 90 minutes. I usually plan how I want to move my body based on how I feel. If I’ve been sitting all day and notice tightness in my hip flexors, I focus on hip-opening poses. If I’m stressed and need to wind down, I practice more restorative and relaxing postures. Somew ays to stay on top of your schedule is to set reminders on your phone or keep a journal of your planne at home yoga days. Plan it out and stick to it!
3. Create a sequence of poses to do.
When I was a complete newbie to yoga and decided to practice at home, one of the biggest obstacles that I faced was creating a flow. I didn’t know what to do, when to do it or how. Sure, I had attended a couple of classes and read tips in different resources, but I still struggled with learning where to start. Outside of attending a few beginner classes and making mental notes of how the teachers sequenced their workouts, I used a lot of free online resources to help me get into a groove. Here are some tips on how to create a flow.
- sun salutations
- standing poses
- standing balances /or arm balances
- inversions
- twists
- forward bends
Check out my IGTV for free yoga classes and tutorials that are great to practice at homeat home yoga home!
4. Invest in the right tools.
You need a yoga towel or mat to start your practice. I started out using an exercise mat that I bought for core exercises during my High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts a couple of years ago. In addition to this, there are other tools such as a strap, or yoga blocks. (Check out this tutorial featuring 6 ways to use yoga blocks for inspo.)
These props are great for helping to help you modify poses and build up to different levels. (Just remember to keep safety as a priority.) A strap is good for helping with your flexibility.
5. Have fun!
Yoga is all about growth and discovering your strength in mind, body and soul. Remember it’s your personal journey and every time you’re able to hit the mat is the opportunity to tune out everything around you and focus on yourself. That “me-time” is irreplaceable.
xo,
Home practice is the best way to practice. In my 15 years of asana and now more into yoga practice. 90% of thousands of hours of practice has been at home. Much better that way. Because you are the yoga teacher
Home practice has been great for me Erik! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy Holidays!