Now this is something I keep telling myself I have to get back in to. As an active gym goer, the yoga classes were always my favourite and I would schedule my workouts so that I could squeeze a yoga class in at the end.
Now, I’d be lucky if I had enough time for a yoga workout so, I told myself “I’m going to do yoga at home!” Well, it’s July now and I still haven’t started.
Yoga can transform your life, your body and your mind. Yet it can also seem overwhelming. Where to start? What to do? Here are some practical tips that I’ve learnt to help get you on the mat and into a home yoga practice.
Get clear on why you want to practise yoga at home – what are the benefits for you? Is it because you know it will make your life feel more spacious? That it will calm your mind? Improve your flexibility? Make you a better teacher? Help you become more conscious? For me, it’s all of the above so, take some time to write out the particular benefits that matter to you.
Work out where it is best for you to do your yoga. Your bedroom? The lounge? The hallway? At the playground while the kids play? At the beach? Know where it is easy and attractive and enjoyable.
Each morning when you wake up, mentally review your day and determine when you’re going to fit in your practice. Know that that is the moment to roll out your mat. Always do your practice at the first possible opportunity, because it may be the only chance you get.
Give yourself permission to practise everyday just for 7 minutes. That’s all! It’s great and it works for me. Just get on your mat every day for 7 minutes and do something. If you’re thinking that you have to do an hour or half and hour or even 20 mins… it’s easy to feel the resistance of your mind. It can be hard to fit that much yoga in to an already busy day. However, everyone has 7 minutes and the mind doesn’t object to such a small amount of time. You’ll find that once you are doing it, it’s easy to stay longer.
Finally, keep it simple. In time, once you have consistency, you can begin to build on your practice so it becomes more expansive. The biggest thing when you first start though is to just show up, day after day after day. The shorter and simpler the practice, the easier it is. In time, your short, simple practice will naturally grow.