We are in the midst of an incredible freeze on the East coast, and like everyone, I would rather just stay inside. With that comes the forfeiting of making it to a class, even when you really want to.  I’ve heard from so many students that they do not know how to start a Home Practice, and they’ve simply grown used to the motivation and inspiration that comes from being at the studio or having a teacher lead you.

Home practice, or dedicated time to yourself to get on the yoga mat and move prana is essential to bringing your practice to life.

Home practice is time to draw attention to your own physical, emotional and spiritual needs, your personal connection to asana, and inspire insight and awareness of habits or actions that hurt or heal.  For some I know the anxiety over not knowing what to do or how to sequence a mini-practice is what keeps them away, as if there is a notion that is has to be done right, or a certain way. The magic of Home Practice is precisely that no one is watching, you’re not teaching anyone, and heck, you’re not even speaking. You’re listening. Inside, to what you need, and how to fulfill those needs.  I also know that the idea of satisfying your own needs and taking loving care of yourself can also be an issue. Regardless, just beginning to move on your own can release any frustration or sadness, and once its passed, the freedom that Home Practice represents begins to show itself.

Here are some suggestions for creating a Home Practice:

Make it a gift to yourself!

– Consider the practice a gift of Light, of energy, of down time from other responsibilities, and a general doorway to remembering the gift of your physical embodiment.  A time to really say you are worthy. If it’s a day you don’t feel the gift itself, or that you are worthy of receiving the gift, a quiet moment with eyes closed, connecting to your breath in one pose – any pose – to draw to this remembrance can be illuminating and lift some darkness.

– Make it special. Set up a special place in your home for practice, even if temporary and somewhat portable and you pull it out when you practice and tuck it away when finished. Turn it into a private moment of sacredness, of self love and self care and it will feel more inciting to do more often.

– Since the time is sacred and special, treat it as such with devices and computers off, or out of reach. If you’re using an app timer, then train yourself to not slip into distraction and check Facebook between sides. I say this because I do this and its disruptive to my breath flow. This is the calling for discipline and dedication, and the primary way we can figure out if its working for us to practice in the first place. Doing it creates the discipline, and its within that you experience the feedback from the practice. And we all spend way too much time on our devices anyway. Shut down for 30-40 minutes!

– Create an altar (puja) as an outer expression of an inner intention, even if its only lighting a candle. This tiny gesture is incredibly powerful and provides a strong anchor for practicing and not straying off course. The altar is part of the private recognition of sacred time for Self, and can be tucked away when finished. It’s not secreted necessarily, but making it private means it is a personal taking account of what matters. The altar is a small gesturing symbol of it.

– Set an intention for practice. Chosing sankalpa, or intention can be physical, energetic, emotional, or spiritual. You are the designer of the practice and can choose what to do, and why to do it. Why are you choosing to practice today? What portion of your being needs nurturing, attention, a little extra love?

– Start moving. Choices abound. Sometimes I get on the mat and just wait to see where I feel like moving, and other times I get on the mat with a physical or energetic focus and something I’d like to accomplish.  I know for some people, not having a set sequence is the most difficult part of starting Home Practice. Yoga Journal, Yoga Download, and Yoga Vibes are all very good online resources that post sequences to try at home.  But the gift of Home Practice really comes to life when you listen and create your own.

– You also get to choose the duration of the practice. There is no limit to how long you should or shouldn’t practice at home since any time practicing yoga on the mat, moving the breath in the body, releases its medicine. If  I only have a 30-45 minute time block, then that’s what I work with. If I have a more open block of time, that is where I just get on the mat and see how I feel in order to figure out what to do, and how to move.

Adding to the above, here are some simple guidelines:

• After creating sacred space and setting an intention, always begin with a series of warm-up poses to connect your breath to awareness of movement. For example, simple Cat/Cow, Downward Dog, lunges, easy twists, and Wide Leg Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana). Repeat if you desire.
• Count 5-8 breaths for each pose, each side if asymmetrical.
• Or, set a timer for 1 minute intervals, and do each pose/each side for 1 minute.
• After a 10 minute warm-up, start Surya or Chandra Namaskar. Since you’re designing the practice based on self love and self need, then you decide if jumping or stepping is appropriate, or if slow / deep will be more of service to you than repetition / momentum.  If you need a pick-me-up and warmth, perhaps Surya Namaskar with a challenge of 5-10 rounds. If you’re feeling like you’d rather go deep to listen then Chandra Namaskar with 3-5 breaths each pose to build awareness and heat. Best part – you decide!
• Set a physical focus! Its a good idea to set a physical focus as this has particular benefit to helping you with your sequencing strategy. For example: Choosing a focus of opening the shoulders and working in particular with keeping your torso full and top of arm bones back in every pose will function as a guide in choosing what poses to include.
• Include seated Pranayama. Try and include 3-5 minutes of a pranayama practice in Home Practice. A seated pranayama practice is a dedicated commitment to exercising your breath and building a stronger relationship to your awareness that is deeply personal and empowering.
• Include meditation at the end, before Savasana.  Even just 5 minutes in the subtle space that opens from Home Practice is very, very gratifying.

Don’t skip Savasana! You hear this all the time from your teachers, and its very important. Rest for at least 5 minutes to segue and shift back into your day.  It can be a very subtle but powerful simple shift to register the importance of gifting yourself time.

Let me know how it goes~