Taking up yoga at home can be a fantastic way to keep up and even improve your practise. It's also a fantastic choice if you find it difficult to fit classes into your schedule or if you wish to practise more frequently than you can afford to. A home-based practise has the advantage of being customizable to your needs! It may be started and stopped at any time, according to your specific needs and mood, and it can use any genre or volume of music that is currently affecting you.
What Does Yoga At Home Entail?
A consistent schedule that includes yoga in some capacity is referred to as a home yoga practise. It could involve chanting Sanskrit mantras, completing yoga breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga postures.While some people like to do yoga before bed, others decide to incorporate it into their daily routine. A yoga practise at home is very individualised since it is shaped by your requirements, interests, and goals. You can practise it at your home or outside in your garden, depending on when your schedule permits.
Advantages Of Doing Yoga At Home As Opposed To A Gym Or Yoga Studio
Yoga in the comfort of your own home has a lot of advantages. See the list of reasons below to find out why you should begin practising yoga at home.
1. Time will be saved for you.There is no need for you to drive, park or stand in queue to check in. Additionally, you don't have to arrive early to secure your preferred location in the space!
2. Reduce anxiety.Have you ever left something crucial, like your yoga mat, behind in your haste to arrive to class? or discovered you left your water bottle on the kitchen counter when you arrived for class? These things are less likely to occur when you practise at home because you won't have any problems with them!
3. You're more adaptable.You can practise whenever it suits your requirements and schedule the best. You are in control of where and when you practise at home. For instance, you may decide to take a quick meditation after a few sun salutations rather than a whole hour of class since you're feeling too exhausted from work.
4. No one is around to observe.You shouldn't worry about feeling self-conscious about your physique in the poses if you're just starting out. If you trip over your mat, nobody will be upset with you! During your practise, it can be uncomfortable and distracting to have eyes on you. A private home practise, on the other hand, allows you total control over your surroundings. You are able to focus entirely on your own experience because there are no other interruptions.
5. In a class, you won't be tempted to compare yourself to other, more experienced yoga practitioners. There will always be someone in a large class who has been practising for longer than you have. Even if this person may appear more attractive than you, it says nothing about the calibre of practitioner you are.
6. You are free to experiment with your practise indefinitely. Your creativity is the only restriction. Next, what would you most like to try? Perhaps you should incorporate guided visualisation into your routine. Consider attempting an alternative asana style.
7. You won't feel bad about taking pauses in kid posture anytime you need to. Sometimes all we need to do during a lengthy session is give our body a break. With everything we've done, we may feel overburdened, tense, or physically worn out. We can reset our minds and emotions when we take a vacation.
8. You'll save money, particularly if you can get by without purchasing online courses. Online video subscription rates range from $13 to $22 per month, while the majority of yoga sessions cost between $14 and $25 per session.
Cons Of Practising Yoga At Home
There can be some drawbacks to doing yoga at home. These restrictions should be recognised so that you can plan and change as necessary.
1. You won't have access to a yoga instructor who can correct your errors and offer you suggestions on how to change the pose to suit your body.
2. Establishing and maintaining a space for your own practise may require a lot of labour.
3. You might need to spend some money on yoga props, such as a blanket, bolster, block, and strap.
4. Without the assistance of a yoga instructor, you're likely to stick to the fundamental yoga postures you are already familiar with and not feel comfortable attempting more difficult poses.
5. The social and supportive elements of public yoga courses might be missed.
6. Heating your yoga room to a temperature that causes perspiration might not be feasible if you enjoy hot yoga.
How Do I Begin Practising Yoga At Home?
There are a few things you should think about before starting an asana practise as part of your everyday routine. Although completing every item on our list won't guarantee success, the more you cross things off, the more fruitful your yoga practise will be.
1. Locate Your Place.
Finding a space to practise is all that is needed to get started. This might be a designated area for your yoga practise, or it can be any place where you can set up your mat with enough space to move around comfortably. Everybody has a different ideal space, which is frequently influenced by where you live and other aspects of your lifestyle. Create a sacred, welcoming, and serene atmosphere wherever you practise in a way that resonates with you. "The key is to create an atmosphere that is so calming that even the family dog, with a deep sigh, is able to relax," advises Donna Nebenzahl. This soothing effect can help you focus on your practise by taking your mind off of everyday household distractions.You can opt to play certain music, use statues or photos of revered teachers or deities, light candles or incense, or any combination of these. Approaching the ritual of preparation with a sense of reverence can be calming; after all, your practise has already started!
2. Compile Your Tools.
You will most likely need a mat, blocks, and other accessories if you practise at home. Additionally, you might need some water, a mat, and a blanket if you practise outside. Before you start, make sure you have everything you need for at-home yoga.
3. Decide On a Yoga Style That Suits Your Needs.
There are numerous yoga styles, and each has advantages of its own. Certain techniques prioritise flexibility and stretches, while others concentrate on developing strength, and still others are centred around relaxing. Even in your own at-home practise, you can use aspects from several different styles!
4. Decide On a Focus.
On certain days, you could arrive at your mat prepared to work on a specific area of your practise. You might not feel as motivated on other days. These days, there are many resources available. Yoga posture sequences for every skill level and unique sequences to fit your mood can be found in our practise area. A few yoga books may also be helpful to you as a source of inspiration and guidance.
5. Get Things Simple At First.
Begin with a brief, fundamental, and beginner-level exercise and progress from there. Building a home practise habit is more crucial in the beginning than its appearance. Experiment with longer and more difficult practises once it becomes a habit.
6. Adhere To a Practise Timetable.
You'll be more likely to continue with it if you are realistic and honest with yourself. For what duration will you practise? When are you going to practise? How many days will you practise each week? Try practising at the same time on your days off if you are still enrolled in classes.
7. Take Risks And Delve Farther.
After you've developed a consistent routine, you might want to try out some other techniques and styles. Try experimenting with various forms, such power yoga, vinyasa flow, or Iyengar. Think about adding some restorative poses or yin yoga. Think about focusing on a different kind of movement, including inversions, twists, forward folds, back bends, or standing poses. Incorporate or experiment with various pranayama breathing techniques.Incorporate or experiment with other forms of meditation, such as mantra, loving-kindness, or awareness. Discover further advice on how to continue and develop your at-home practise.
Tips For Doing Yoga At Home
1. Act on your gut. Be not concerned with perfection.
2. Exercise patience. Until you achieve, keep trying. Repetition is the most effective technique to improve at something.
3. Whenever need, take a rest. Permit yourself to pause anytime you feel like it.
4. Enjoy yourself! Keep in mind to grin a lot when practising. This makes the task more enjoyable, and smiling releases endorphins, which uplifts our mood.
5. Practise makes perfect. Yoga is best practised daily, but the more often you can get in the poses and breathing techniques, the faster you will pick them up.
6. Never stop learning. Investigate the deeper facets of yoga or speak with seasoned yogis to find new ways to push yourself.
7. After practise, sip on lots of water. This helps your body eliminate pollutants and keeps it hydrated. It's quite beneficial if you perspire a lot when practising yoga.
8. Seek assistance. Seek the support of your loved ones to inspire you to keep up your practise.
9. Let go of attachment upon achieving advancement. Savour the journey—achieving the objective is not as important as enjoying the yoga practise.
10. Remain in the moment. Refocus your thoughts when you notice them straying from the present. Try to identify where your focus has strayed and then gently bring it back to the awareness of your breath and the sensations that are emerging in your body.
11. Let go of criticism and judgement. Maintain a good outlook and accept where you are right now.
12. Take a big breath. Breathing deeply throughout your practise helps you stay calm and focused while also giving your body the oxygen and energy it needs to perform.
13. Have self-confidence. Anything that you set your mind to, you can achieve.
14. Pay attention to your gut and follow your instincts. Give yourself permission to follow your inner guidance to success.
Final Thoughts
There are a thousand distractions that might divert you from practising, and the number increases when someone else's timetable controls your practise time. Attend your preferred lessons as usual, but don't allow missing them deter you from practising! When you practise at home, roll out your mat, gather your supplies, establish the atmosphere, and follow your intuition. You may start experiencing the incredible health benefits of yoga right away by intentionally creating and maintaining your at-home yoga practise.
