4 Steps to Building (And Maintaining) Your Home Yoga Practice

By Emily Graham || mightymoms.net

Nothing compares to practicing yoga with your community, but when you can’t be with your fellow yogis in person, cultivating a home practice is the next best thing. Some yogis, (even experienced ones), may feel overwhelmed when making decisions about, which room would work best and how much space is needed. There isn’t a right or wrong answer to these questions, but we hope to help you find the answers that will get you on your way.

#1  Prepare Your Space

If you want to create the experience of being at your favorite class, it’s worth setting up a home yoga space that has the features you’d expect from a professional studio. Start by choosing a room in your home that’s convenient and comfortable. Converting a spare room into a dedicated yoga space is ideal, but you can also clear a space in your living room, or even your bedroom.

Firstly, if your budget allows, it’s worth investing in flooring that has some give, such as rubber flooring. Additionally, think about other ways you can make the space ideal for yoga. For example, House Beautiful recommends decorating your home yoga space with colors that are light and soothing and with using warm lighting. A floor length mirror is highly recommended, so you can make self-corrections, and you’ll also need dedicated storage for your yoga props, such as a good sized floor basket or a spare drawer. You should also take steps to ensure this space is free of things that cause anxiety and stress, as this will ultimately distract from your yoga practice.

If you’re not sure how to get this process started, get in touch with the us… schedule your Discovery Call today.

#2  Find Your Groove

Now that your yoga space, or room, is set up, it’s time to plan your routine and structure your sessions. You have a couple of options to choose from and you may even find that you like a combination of several ideas. One option is to take an online class. The major benefit of these classes is, you get the guidance and expertise of your favorite instructors, plus it takes the guesswork out of your practice.

When you want to try something new, you can also create your own practice by incorporating specific moves. The best way to start is to find moves that fit where you are with your practice - and what your body and mind need most. For example, you could create a sequence that focuses on yoga for mental health. Simple poses like standing forward fold, dancer, and warrior 2 are a few mental health favorites. Another way to get started is to build a sequence based on a structure. Following this method, Yoga Journal recommends beginning with opening poses, then moving on to standing poses, inversions, and so on until you get to closing postures.

#3  Set a Schedule

When you practice yoga at home, you aren’t restricted by class times, which can be both helpful and challenging. You’re free to practice on your own schedule, but the key is to SET a schedule because that’s what will keep you on track. Some experts recommend doing yoga first thing in the morning before having breakfast, but of course, that timing isn’t ideal for everyone. The best timing is really whenever you can commit to doing it consistently. The one time you DON’T want to practice is right after a meal.

#4  Keep Going!

One of the hardest things about doing anything on your own, is that you also have to supply your own motivation. And while you may assume that motivation to practice yoga should come naturally, we all need a little boost at times. If your motivation needs a boost, try these tips from Treehugger, which include setting an intention for your practice and taking any pressure off of yourself to perform a certain way.

#namaste

On top of everything else you do, remember that your yoga community is never very far away. Your home yoga practice can’t replace regular classes, but it CAN be a great solution for those times when in-person class isn’t an option.