Cultivating a home practice is a gift you can give yourself that will last a lifetime

No room to compare = We are social beings and even when we know we should tune into our own mats; our eyes naturally look around us.  Even though in the deepest depths of our yogi hearts we realize that a physical practice is not all that yoga is and the shape you make with your body does not make any difference.  We still want to bend/flex and keep up with the group around us.  This may not be the case for everyone, but it is still on some days the case for me.  Having thoughts like “I wish I could do that” or “look like that” do not exist in a home practice.  There is no one to look at, only thing to tune into is how you feel in the pose.  The social pressure does not exist.

Make the shape that fits you = It is a myth that there is a wrong way to do a pose.  Honestly, there is more gray area to alignment than you would think.  Often, we are not adding load like weights into the practice so as long as your joints are not in pain and you can breathe, then you are in the pose.  Everyone is unique and everyone’s anatomy is different.  No one has the same bone structure you do.  It is a beautiful thing that should be celebrated.  Focus on how the pose feels instead of how things are lined up and how it looks in a photo.  Honors your uniqueness and enjoy your practice.  I demo all of the poses in my classes to give you some guidance, but I also provide variations/options and give you time to adjust and get settled.  I want to empower my students to find a shape that works for them. 

Introspection = This is the true view of your feelings and thoughts.  During a home practice you can completely tune into how you are actually feeling that day.  If you need to pause the video and just have a good cry, then do it!  If you are in Warrior Two and you just feel like exhaling out loudly because you felt a wave of emotions and need it to release, you can!  During a home practice you have the freedom to be honest and really connect with how you are doing, your internal world. 

Convenience = Monday at 9am is not always a great time to stop your day.  The only thing that is consistent to our schedules is that they are always changing.  Your yoga can be done anytime. 

Self-care as a priority = The flip side to being able to do the video at your convenience is that you need to actually schedule time for yourself to stop and do your practice.  The amount you do per week is completely up to you and it will of course vary during your life.  The responsibility and ownership to put your self-care as a priority will result in positive impacts in the rest of your life.  You will find yourself saying no, reflecting if things are really serving your best interest, slowing down your pace, not being so hard on yourself, etc.  Creating this new habit of making time for yourself will result in a life shift that will bring you many other joys.  “Like” attracts “like” in life.  The more you take care of yourself, the better you will feel, and the more compassion and kindness you will be able to give to others. 

Freedom = No studio fees, no contract, just freedom to do the type of yoga you want, when you want and for a lower cost than you would pay with a studio. 

Props = Yes you need a yoga mat, but the rest of the props used can be found around your house.  Yoga blocks can be substituted with small pillows, books or even small storage boxes (shoe box).  A yoga strap could be a belt, a robe belt, scarf or a jump rope.  For cushions/support any blanket and towel will work. 

Health/Safety = During these times, is it unfortunately a risk to be indoors with others.  Especially when most studio policies allow masks to be removed when students are on their mats.  You can practice in your own home.  If you do not think you have space for doing yoga in your home, I encourage you to find a spot to roll a mat out in front of a closet door, entry doorway, or window.  If you have enough space to lay down your mat, then you have an automatic yoga room.  Even the videos can be played from a cell phone or laptop so you can take them with you anywhere. 

I want nothing more than for you to experience the gift of a home practice.  Any time if there is a part during a video that you need more guidance on, I am happy to help.  Email me at [email protected]

Namaste and Take care of yourself ~ Carol