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Twenty minutes of yoga at home is often more beneficial than driving, parking, and paying to practice for an hour at a studio. With this 20th-century model now well and truly disrupted, what happens next? Despite the obvious losses to the yoga industry in terms of studio closures and teachers forced out of the profession, I believe this reconfiguration is positive for yoga itself. Later, I check out the comments on Adriene’s channel.
A few days later, when I unrolled my sticky mat at home alone for the first time, I wanted to bolt. Up until then my idea of yoga was attending a class, which is kind of like being chauffeured around town, sitting comfortably in the back seat, enjoying the scenery. It was as if someone handed me car keys but no map.
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If you start doing yoga at home by copying poses you see on Instagram, the likelihood of you hurting yourself is high. There’s a lot more to yoga than bending your body into certain shapes. If you do not know how to prepare for and move into the postures and poses correctly, you risk injuring yourself. Or, if you’re pressed for time, why not start with a Daily Mobility Break that takes just minutes?
Once you have your yoga routine down, you can progress by making it more challenging. Using a yoga app is great for this as you can just choose a more advanced yoga program or classes. The breathing and mindfulness techniques that are an inherent part of any yoga practice have profound effects on health. For example, a regular yoga practice can lower your blood pressure, help with back pain, make your muscles less sore after training, and reduce your risk of injury. To learn yoga alone at home or in a teacher-led class is excellent. But discovering the depth of yoga depends on more than just following technical instructions.
New to Yoga?
If you feel any pain, modify, or come out of the pose. Warm up before moving into more strenuous poses and be mindful during transitions. If you are pursuing a Vinyasa Yoga practice, you should only practice up to 3–5 times a week to give your body enough time to rest and recover.
When you practice regularly, the effects of each session don’t have a chance to wear off before your next practice. Try and find a quit area in your home where you can commit yourself to your practice. This is not always possible I know, we have pets and kids and other house mates and spouses that can be a distraction. Dedicating an area in your home to practice in can also help establish a regular practice, the space needn’t be large.
Disadvantages of practising yoga alone at home, and how to overcome them
The best approach when learning yoga on your own is to find a high-quality online course. To avoid injury when your first start doing yoga alone at home, start with the fundamentals and gradually advance once you have mastered the form of the basic poses. Always stretch and warm your body up before a yoga session.
One of the positive outcomes of the Covid pandemic is that there are now so many online resources available for people wanting to incorporate yoga into their lives. It is possible to get high-quality, safe yoga instruction on YouTube for free. Notice that what once felt impossible is now a normal part of your practice – whether it’s a balancing pose or being able to lift your weight up in a push-up. You can even set small goals of holding a difficult pose for one more breath each time. Personally, I enjoy practicing at home on my own, as I am much more in touch with my feeling, my breathing.
Seek Out Your Teachers
Many of us—even after we realize the benefits of a personal practice—seem to resist it. We tell ourselves that we don’t have enough space or time or that we don’t know what to do. Or we hold a romanticized vision of the perfect home practice and feel guilty when our reality doesn’t match the fantasy. With the introduction of technology, yoga teachers can do a video call with you. So you can live in a different part of the country and still practice.
Make a plan and follow it – don’t make exceptions unless something serious happens. Classical yoga and meditation are low-risk practices. Now that does not mean that all yoga practices are suitable for everyone at every given moment. Listening to your body and using common sense is usually enough.
It’s more important that you’re consistent with your yoga routine than whether you dedicate 15, 30 or 60 minutes to it. Even a single yoga session can drive down your stress levels, makes you more focused and better able to deal with challenging situations. Perhaps because of all these effects, yoga is also an effective weight-loss aid. Studio lessons or homework program using videos? I give you my coaching advice on the best way to start yoga. But, to learn advanced yoga or to experience the full potential of basic practices, you need to practice under exceptional conditions, under the guidance of a master.
A long practice is great, but it’s also OK to practice for smaller chunks of time. Start with 30 minutes three to four times a week. If that’s not possible, try 15 to 20 minutes, which you can probably fit in daily. One of the biggest benefits of doing yoga alone is an increased level of comfort. Whether you are at your house, at a park, by the beach, or tucked away in the corner at your gym; the benefits can be huge. Being able to call the shots and play around with different locations is empowering.
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