5 Tips for Practicing Yoga at Home

You slept through your alarm for the 6am, you were driving carpool during the 9:30 am, and now your boss wants you to stay late and you’ll miss the last yoga class of the day. Sound familiar?

There is something so energizing about practicing yoga surrounded by others, in a class at your favorite studio, but what’s one to do when you can’t make it there? No, you don’t skip it, silly, you set yourself up at home with all the tools you need- then you can roll out your mat, no matter what time of day, and squeeze in a quick flow.

Here are my top 5 Tips for cultivating an at-home practice:

1. Clear space for your at-home yoga practice

• You definitely don’t need to dedicate an entire room for your practice, but if you have one, great. Otherwise, all you need is the rectangular size of your mat and about two feet of clear space on all four sides so you don’t feel boxed in. A wood floor is best, as it keeps the mat even; however carpet is fine- it just challenges your balance a bit more.
• If you like candles or incense, pick your favorite scent and light up before you flow. If you like music, have a small speaker or use your phone for playback; I prefer to practice to music, but some people prefer silence.
• Remind your family members you will be practicing before you begin, and not to bother you unless, as I tell my kids, “you’re bleeding or the house is on fire.”  Luckily they never bother me! ; )

2. What you’ll need to practice yoga at home

• All you really need is a mat- unless you want to pretend like you’re in an ashram in India- then the wood, or even a dirt floor will do! My all time favorite mat is from Jade
• Props area great way to get into poses that might challenge you, as they bring the floor closer to you, help you balance, and hold your feet in certain poses. If you know you need props to get into certain poses, from using them at the studio, then splurge on a block and a strap at least- together you can snatch them up for about $15 dollars from online yoga sites

3. Practice a Well-Rounded Yoga Sequence

• Any effective yoga class will be built upon a sequence combining poses that move the spine in different directions, including flexion, extension, etc; so make sure you choose a few from each plane of motion.
• Ask yourself what you need on that given day, and create a sequence that includes a mix of warm ups, sun salutations, standing poses, seated poses, inversions if you practice them, and resting poses. Within those groups, alternate forward bends, backbends, side bends, twists, hip opening, shoulder opening, etc.
• NO idea where to start? I got you covered! Yoga Journal has an awesome sequence builder that I sometimes use to print out sequences for my private clients- it’s a great way to get familiar with each group and how to connect them in a mindful sequence.
• The best yoga advice I ever got from my mentor? Pick a pose you dislike the most, and practice it everyday until you like it!

4. Create a Schedule for When You’ll Practice Yoga At Home

Try your best to be consistent, it makes a huge difference in the amount of times you’ll actually get on your mat each week.

5. Get Help To Support your Yoga Practice

Sometimes we can’t make it to the studio, yet need more motivation than we can muster up ourselves- trust me, I know the feeling. Even after practicing for over 15 years, sometimes even I need a kick in the pants!

• Seek out a teacher in your area to do private sessions and plan an at home sequence; then you can practice it on your own once they’ve walked you through it. I’ve done this with some clients who can’t do sessions every week, but call me for a tune-up every month or so.
• Watch classes online! Join my Facebook group here and you can do free live yoga classes online