Tips for Setting Up a Home Practice
Practical Matters
To practice yoga, all you really need is your body and the floor-plus a little self-discipline.
Practice your yoga the same time each day.
It is more beneficial to do a short sequence daily than a longer session every few days.
Ideal times are in the morning (you may feel stiffer in the morning but it sets you up in a positive manner for the day) or in the evening before dinner.
Always practice on an empty stomach.
Ask yourself what you need in a practice for today. Do you need a more restorative practice or do you need something more energizing? Let your body guide you. Yoga should refresh and energize you. You should feel relaxed both in your body and your mind.
Guidelines
- Establish a time when you won′t be interrupted; when you have at least an hour to yourself.
- Set aside a comfortable warm space that you use each time.
- Wear comfortable clothing.
- Follow a pattern (see suggestions below)
- Hold each posture for about 20 seconds at your edge of comfort. This gives time for your muscles to begin to relax.
- Repeat each posture two to three times – the repetitions can usually be held longer. Repetition gives your body time to get acquainted with what you are asking it to do
- Use continuous Ujjayi breathing or 3–part breath throughout
- For internal support remember to contract the bandha′s (perineum and abdomen).
The Tools of Practice
- Yoga Mat (a thin sticky mat, not a padded exercise mat) more
- 2 Blocks (wood, cork, foam)
- Strap with a buckle (6 or 8 feet in length)
- Round Yoga bolster
- 2 densely woven blankets
- Eye bag
An Example of a Yoga Practice Sequence
When you practice Hatha Yoga, it is very important to work according to a pattern. Below is a typical pattern that works very well.
- Relax and Center
- Sit in silence for 5–15 minutes OR
- Lie on your back for 5–15 minutes listening to soft music, a meditation tape or just in silence
- Warm up with very basic stretches or poses (5 minutes). You can do this sitting standing or reclining. If you begin your relaxing and centering lying down then you can start the warm-ups lying down and proceed then to transitioning to kneeling or standing poses. Example of warm-up poses include:
- Stretching along the length of the floor extending arms and hands to the back wall and pressing out toward the front wall with your feet with the ankles pressing out and the toes pointing towards the ceiling (dorsiflexion)
- Neck and shoulder exercises
- Eye exercises (palming, looking up, down, to corners)
- Wrist extensions
- Hip rotations
- Ankle rotations
- Move into Asanas-Postures
The postures can be done in any sequence and sometimes it is very helpful to rearrange the sequence in order to explore the various relationships between the postures. Many sequences are arranged so that one posture builds on and augments the others that come after. During a well-arranged sequence, the entire body is stretched, bent, and toned. Each pose counterbalances the one before. Here is an example of one type of sequencing:
- Sun Salutations. (at least 5x)
- This sequence of 12 postures warms up and tones the whole body, bringing flexibility to the spine and making the other postures in the sequence easier to do.
- Supine Poses (Lying on your back):
- Leg Raises
- Modified Shoulder Stand
- Bridge
- Fish
- Table Position
- Cat/Dog
- Thread the Needle
- Sun Bird to Pigeon
- Down Dog
- Standing Poses
- Sun Salutation
- Triangle
- Warrior I
- Warrior II
- Extended Side Angle Pose
- Wide–Legged Forward Bend
- Chair Pose
- Balance Poses
- Tree
- Eagle
- Standing Twist
- Prone Poses (Lying on stomach)
- Sphinx
- Cobra
- Belly Down Boat
- Bow
- Sitting Poses
- Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)
- Seated Twist
- Forward Bend
- Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)
- Inverted Poses
- Half Shoulder Stand
- Legs–Up–the–Wall
- Modified Head Stand
- Savasana
- Sun Salutations. (at least 5x)
How to Keep Your Practice New and Fun
- Divide your weeks into segments altering between a more active practice and a more restorative practice.
- Focus on specific groups of postures. One day for example, you may decide to work on back bends and on another day you practice balance poses. Always start your practice with gentle warm-ups. I like to design a practice that includes 45 minutes of postures but leaving 20-25 minutes in the middle of the practice to concentrate on a particular group of postures. That way I am sure that I get a well-rounded routine.
- Try designing a practice that includes poses followed by a counter pose. Examples: Bridge Pose and Counterpose Knees–to–Chest; Downward–Facing Dog Pose and Counterpose Child Pose; Reclining Big–Toe Pose with strap and Counterpose Knees–to–Chest Pose; Shoulder Stand and Counterpose Fish Pose.
- Design your yoga practice so that you continually move gracefully from one pose to another. Take 5-7 breaths with each pose and then continue to the next pose. Here you can alternate between more strenuous poses and more relaxing poses so that you can continue to move gracefully.
- Focus on moving the energy throughout the body. Once established in a pose, in your mind′s eye note the energy lines and then consciously direct your energy into those channels. This will help you relax, focus, and harmonize your energy.
- Design your practice in the moment. Let the intelligence of your body guide you through the poses. Think less and let you body move where it needs to move. Worry less about the correctness of the pose and what it looks like and more about just riding the wave of your breathing.
And remember – SMILE TO YOURSELF
