Most beginners often consider yoga complicated enough that they don’t consider practicing it at home. However, this can often pose problems for some people since they’d be scared or embarrassed to do certain poses like the headstand in front of their teachers and classmates. Well, there’s no need to worry because, as your teacher would probably advise, you can go ahead and practice the move at home.
Why Practice Yoga at Home
Here’s a quick run-through of the advantages of practicing yoga at home:
1. Increases Your Knowledge
What’s excellent about practicing yoga at home is that it allows you to self-soothe and self-regulate. It’s like doing something on your own versus having someone help you—more responsibility is placed on your shoulders. You decide what your goal is and what happens along the way, giving yourself more opportunities to learn and acquire knowledge.
2. Gives You the Ability to Assess Yourself
Practicing yoga on your own helps you learn a thing or two about personal assessment. You eventually get better at evaluating how you feel and choosing practices that counterbalance whatever it is you’re going through mentally, physically, and emotionally.
3. Lets You Practice at Your Own Pace
There aren’t many endeavors in life that allow you free rein of things. Having a home practice will enable you to indulge in yoga whenever you want, for how long you want. Whether you go for an early morning or late-night yoga session that takes place five minutes or an hour, it’s all up to you. You’re free to practice at your own pace.
4. Helps You Improve Faster
Doing yoga at home lets you practice more regularly than usual, making it more likely for the effects of a session to be still present the next time you go on the mat. This level of consistency is what speeds up your progress and leads to further growth.
How to Start a Yoga Practice at Home
You should be able to chart a course for your at-home studio with the following tips:
1. Pick a Quiet Area
Before diving into a specific pose, make sure you’re seated comfortably in a quiet area. According to experts, yoga must always begin with stillness. This allows you to see how your mind and body feel and then decide on how to proceed based on that feeling.
2. Choose Your Direction
Once you’ve determined how your body and mind feel, you can determine your direction. For instance, if you’re too tired from the events of the day, you can opt for a short, less strenuous practice. On the other hand, if your body is buzzing with energy and raring to go, then a more vigorous practice should be the order of the day. There are also practices ideal for grounding and stability and giving you energy.
3. Set an Objective
Having an objective or intention means you’ll be able to make the most of whatever time you have to practice yoga. For example, you can set a plan to work on a specific pose, achieve a feeling of spaciousness in a particular part of the body, or give rise to any emotion without judgment.
4. Go for Poses You Love
We already know there’s a myriad of poses in yoga, and some of which offer you more enjoyment than others. You can use your love for specific poses to compel and not obligate you to do yoga. You don’t want yoga to become an obligation; you want it to be something you enjoy. Choosing a few great poses to do each time you go on the mat can help with that.
5. Take Mental Notes in Class
What are your favorite poses to do in class? It’s important to take note of the poses, practices, and other activities you do in class so that you can incorporate them into your home practice sessions.
6. Choose a Pose for Each Direction
So many poses to practice, so little time. One thing you can do to overcome this is to choose a favorite pose for every direction your body moves. There has to be a pose for leaning forward and back, going upside down, twisting, and leaning side to side to create a complete practice.
7. Wear Whatever Makes You Happy
You can wear whatever you want, including nothing at all! It’s best to pick a few activewear pieces that are eco-friendly and sustainable from prAna. Don’t forget to grab a comfy yoga mat as well!
Final Thoughts
Studio yoga is great and all that, but it does pose limits for anyone who doesn’t have the time and money to attend classes, the energy to make the trip, or the confidence to execute complicated poses in front of other people. Such challenges can make it difficult for you to get the consistency needed to achieve great results.
Doing yoga at home is another story because it allows you to circumvent all these challenges. To be able to do it properly, you must choose a quiet section of your home to practice in, determine your direction, set an intention, go for poses that you love, take mental notes in class, and choose a pose for each direction. Once you have all that and the right gear ready, you can do yoga at home.
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