Do you love yoga but sometimes find yourself too busy to make it to your local yoga class?
Would you like to experience the benefits of a regular yoga practice but can’t afford the time or money to get to class regularly?
Are you still yet to find the perfect local teacher to practice with?
If you said yes to any of the questions above, then I highly recommend that you consider incorporating a regular yoga practice at home.
Creating my Home Practice
Today, I consider myself very lucky to have a lovely space to practice yoga at home. But over the years prior to this, I often had to be very creative to find enough space in my physical environment to unroll my mat and practice.
Having a home practice gives you the flexibility to fit yoga into your life; whether you have children, work shifts or travel a lot, you can still take your yoga practice with you. Even when you are super-busy, you can still get the benefits of yoga. With a home practice you can always find just a few minutes to stretch and breathe.
Here are 3 ideas to help you get started with your home practice
1. Create your own Sacred Yoga Space.
If you have the luxury of a spare room, office or workshop, claim it as your Sacred Yoga Space. Personalise it with the things you love: nice candles, your favourite music, scented oils, empowering quotes and inspirational pictures.
If you don’t have a dedicated space for your yoga, pay special attention to the sacredness of your yoga mat wherever you choose to roll it out. I like to think of my own mat as truly magical with the ability to absorb any of my frustrations as well as allow my spirit to soar.
2. Create a regular Yoga Time.
This will be different for each person depending on your schedule and life.
The time that works best for many people, myself included is the morning-time. No matter what is going on in my day, I can always get up 15-30 minutes earlier. By having morning yoga as part of my daily routine, I am out of bed, dressed and on my mat before I am fully conscious. I find if I don’t do my practice first thing in the morning, I tend to think about it for the rest of my day.
Consider your schedule and what time will work best for you? Remember to ask for help from other family members and friends if you need extra support. When you give yourself space and time-out, you always have more to give to others.
3. Listen to your body.
Learning to listen to your body is essential for any home practice. Be kind to your body and always work within your limits.
Your body will always tell you what it wants. I always like to start with a gentle breathing practice as this gives me time to check in with myself. I ask ‘What do I need today?’ Then, I give my body the space to reply and listen to what it says.
The wisdom held within is deeply profound. When you learn to listen to your body it is amazing what can happen! Some days you may lie down in savasana (corpse / relaxation pose) for your whole practice. Whilst on other days you might have the most energetic, enlivening session ever!
You can Create a Wonderful Home Yoga Practice!
Doing yoga at home gives you true freedom. It gives you the flexibility to create a daily practice even when you are busy, tired and juggling multiple things.
Having a home practice gives you the opportunity to create your own sacred space. Let this be time for yourself to just be, move and listen to your inner self. This can be a wonderful time to reconnect back to your mind and body, creating inner balance and harmony.
Regular yoga is a beautiful gift to give yourself, your mind and your body.
Virabhadra was a fierce warrior born from a hair off Shiva’s head. Shiva the compassionate Lord, who is both creator and destroyer, destroys obstacles and crushes ignorance. He used his divine powers to create Virabhadra to achieve specific desires and defeat enemies. Hence why Virabhadrasana or Warrior postures are great opportunities to go deeper within and to reflect on what it really means to be a “Warrior” in our everyday lives.
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