Starting a yoga practice in the comforts of your own home can be done as easily as taking online classes and accessing digital downloads, in addition to following DVDs and books. If you had a ton of money and wanted to hire a personal yoga teacher to come to you, you could, but it’s not necessary.
These days, there is so much great content online, you can start a course on your own and know that you are getting the best quality instruction without spending a fortune. You can also go at your own pace and do it in your own time. Here are some pointers for starting your own home yoga practice.
1. Prepare well.
All you need to start a home practice is a large enough space for a yoga mat and possibly some props such as a block, strap, towel, blanket or bolster. Then, decide which route you want to go: whether it’s an online course, studying from a book, or starting with a Beginner’s yoga DVD.
2. Ease into the practice.
I always recommend starting out slowly. Go for 10 to 15 minutes at a time and start with the basics. Learn some of the most common poses, like Downward Dog, Warriors, Triangle, and Tree, and build from there. Make sure you are listening to your breath and breathing properly in and out of the nose.
3. Challenge yourself.
As you advance in your practice you can add more challenging poses and learn to link the postures together in a flowing sequence. Sun Salutations are efficient and a common way to warm up.
4. Observe and listen.
It’s good to watch the lesson through entirely first before doing an online class or DVD. If you are using a book, you can look at the postures and practice them, but eventually it’s nice to have a live guide, either virtually or in a real live class, to show you some sequences and help you progress to the next level.
Yoga is non-competitive and there isn’t an end goal to the practice so it’s comforting to know you can go at your own pace. Yoga is a lifelong practice, and once you start, you will discover so many amazing things about yourself.
No matter what, have fun, be curious, and make sure to play on your yoga mat. Gather as much information as you can both externally and internally as you continue to grow in your home yoga practice.
