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There are so many reasons to start a home yoga practice.
A home yoga practice is much cheaper, private, and time flexible. Those three reasons alone tend to be enough to get people interested in getting on their mat at home. But, especially to the uninitiated, yoga (even alone at home) can be intimidating.
One of the biggest questions I get asked is, how do I get started?
First and foremost, you need to change your expectations for what you imagine an at home practice to look like. Most likely, it is not going to have the same vibe and feel as a studio. It is not going to be all “om” and zen for the simple reason that you won’t have a yoga teacher guiding your practice and allowing you to “zone out”. But it is for this reason that a home yoga practice actually allows for a deeper connection to yourself. At home, you are guiding your practice, choosing the poses, the speed, length, and flow.
Beginning your home yoga practice.
At a yoga studio classes are anywhere from 60 minutes to 90 minutes. And let’s be honest, not everyone has that kind of time to regularly devote to their yoga practice. So, when starting your own home practice, start off slowly. Challenge yourself to commit to 10-15 minutes of yoga a couple of times a week. And let’s change the word “yoga” to “stretching”. Because at the end of the day, that’s the bare bones of yoga. Many people find that committing to the idea of stretching before bed a few times a week feels like a much more achievable goal. It helps to remove any perceived expectations of what yoga “should look like”.
Decide on a time of day to practice yoga at home. I recommend starting with stretching before bed or when you wake up. It’s easy to fit 10 minutes of stretching into your already established routines.
On the mat. Now what?
So many people are concerned that they’re not flexible enough to do yoga. Which is so backward! That’s like expecting to be able to run a half-marathon the first time you hit the pavement. One of the many purposes of yoga is to increase flexibility and joint movement. Don’t worry about your flexibility, it will come. And, honestly, even if the flexibility is never there, you will still always reap the benefits of the stretch.
So pick a few simple poses that you would love to one day master. Maybe you simply want to be able to touch your toes. Or balance on one leg. Or hold a plank for 30 seconds. Whatever you choose, do what feels best for you. Then spend a few minutes every day (or every other day) working toward those few goals. When you’re ready to try a tiny flow, I recommend starting with a Sun Salutation.
The Sun Salutation is the foundation to vinyasa flows and sure to appear in any formal yoga class. It’s a very simple flow but presents poses that help build strength and flexibility. When you’re ready for something new, try out the Moon Salutation.
These two flows alone are a great way to bookend the stretches you are working to master. And, ta-da! There are the basics of a home yoga practice.
Simple yoga pose inspiration.
The best way to get yoga pose and stretching inspiration is to follow people who do yoga on Instagram! The inspiration there is truly limitless. You can follow my IG for some yoga inspiration (and my healthy lifestyle journey) @shannonelizabethfitness! The best part about the yoga community on Instagram is that it truly is a community. You can find people of all levels, abilities, ages, weight, culture, race and more practicing and sharing their yoga on IG. Some of my favorite yoga inspiration accounts are:
You can also browse awesome hashtags:
- #yogafit
- #yogadaily
- #yogisofinstagram
- #bodypositiveyoga
- #yogaforeveryone
It’s okay not to be zen.
A yoga class is designed to give you an experience along with your practice. Along with the instructor often times there is music, incense or candles, a meditative atmosphere, etc. But for most people, this is really hard to achieve at home. So, don’t worry about it! If I’m being a 100% honest, more than half of the time when I’m practicing yoga I’m also watching tv. Or having a conversation with my husband. Currently, I tend to do a little yoga as a warm-up for my runs. Treat yourself to a yoga class when you want the zen-meditative experience but don’t put that pressure on your home yoga practice. It’s not always realistic.
Enjoy the stretch.
Your home yoga practice has to be enjoyable for you. Don’t worry about what other people are doing. Focus on yourself, your body and where you want to improve. Allow your time on the mat to be a few minutes of self-love that you gift to yourself. And over time your home practice will grow and develop. You can read a bit more about my own yoga journey here!
Do you practice yoga?
Chat soon,
Shannon
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I have been practicing yoga at home for a while, and I love how you encouraged people to give it try! I use it with some hand weights/resistance training, and a little bit of cardio.
I am very interested in your email about the 25 day emotional eating journal. Thank you!!