I am a yoga teacher. I love going to yoga classes. And I still think that a home practice is an incredibly important part of learning and growing as a yogi.
As a student, it’s where I can spend more time in poses that I want to explore. I may only have one try to work on a new arm balance in class, but at home I can play with it for a while. Fall, get up, laugh a little and try again.
As a teacher it’s where I can find creativity for my classes. When I don’t start with a plan, it is fun to see where my body leads. What shape can move into a new shape? How will the transitions work?
Don’t get me wrong. There is huge value in taking classes and learning from other teachers. I just think it’s so important that we learn to trust ourselves and work to become our own best teacher.
Here’s a little motivation to unroll your mat at home!
You Can Do Whatever You Want That Day.
Ever show up for class craving twists and end up working on backbends for the hour? It’s still going to be helpful but it may not be exactly what you wanted that day.
Rehabbing an injury? A home practice allows you to tailor the practice for what you need, or what you don’t. Maybe you need to spend more time on one side of the body than the other to rebuild strength. That is not always easy to do in a public class.
You also have the flexibility to add in just what you need. Some days it feels great to start with 15 minutes of Yin poses before you move faster. Other days you need a few restorative postures to wind down the practice. Feeling like an hour of savasana? It’s your practice to create.
You Can Practice When You Want...For as Long as You Want.
Class times may not always work for you. You work 9-5 and the kids have practice. Or you get stuck in traffic heading to the studio and miss class. Then what? Somedays you just don’t want to leave the house at 5:45 to make it 6 am yoga.
The beauty of a home practice is that you can practice whenever it works best for you. And you cut out the drive time of getting to and from the studio so that just means you can spend those extra minutes on your mat.
And some days the reality is that we only have 20 or 30 minutes. Not long enough to get to class, but certainly enough time for a short practice. Your practice doesn’t always have to be sixty or ninety minutes. A long child’s pose and a few sun salutations can shift breath, body and mind.
You Learn to be Your Own Best Teacher.
Most people’s biggest hesitation to beginning a home practice is that they don’t know what to do, where to begin or what they should practice.
I get it. There are days I start with no idea where to go.
Make a list of your favorite poses. It doesn’t matter if you know what they are called, name them whatever you want. Practice those. Then write down some of your least favorite poses and include one or two of those. Often, those are the ones we need the most.
Listen to your body. What are you in the mood for? Hip openers, forward folds, a really long savasana. Trust that you know more than you think you do.
Stuck? Yoga videos are an amazing resource. They can provide inspiration on the days that you are tired or less motivated. It is a perfect way to build the routine of a home practice with a little guidance and support.
Create a dedicated space.
If you have to clear the clutter, put away the laundry and rearrange the furniture each time you want to practice it is way less likely to happen.
Your yoga space doesn’t need to be an entire room, for most of us that is a luxury. Can you find a quiet corner? A place that just fits the dimensions of your mat?
Keep it clean. Invest in a yoga mat to keep at home (if your other mat lives in your car or at your studio). Make getting to your mat as easy, and as excuse-free, as possible.
Don’t get me wrong. I still believe there is value in practicing with good teachers in a community of yogis. You learn and you are supported. And there is nothing quite like the rhythm of the collective ujjayi breath. But there is also beauty in practicing where nobody is watching, where you hear just the sound of your breath. Give it a try, you’ve got nothing to lose.