Starting a Home Yoga Practice

Hello everyone and welcome to another yoga blog post! Since moving back home from uni, I'm yet to have attended any yoga classes (they all start in September round here) so I have instead resorted to a home practice. Practising at home is something all yogis should do, regardless of how regularly you attend classes. But its not always easy to get motivated and it can be difficult to know where to start. My home practice is something I always find myself coming back to, and I've recently realised how important it can be. Keep reading for all my tips on a yoga home practice!


Routine
Routine is probably the most important thing about a home yoga practice, especially if you're at work 9-5 on weekdays or struggle to find the time to do things. Start by setting yourself a time. If you were to go to a class, you would have a specific time and place to go and do yoga, and you'd make sure of doing it. At home, it can be more difficult to practice if you haven't set yourself a time and place. I've also discovered the joys of a 5 minute morning practice the minute I get out of bed and a 5 minute bedtime practice before going to sleep. It's doing me the world of good and motivates me to do more yoga during the day!

Props
Props are your friend, especially if you are a beginner yogi and you struggle to get into certain postures. Definitely invest in some blocks and straps. Blocks can add height to postures like arm balances, and straps or resistance bands are great for lengthening. You can also use a tie or scarf if you're not ready to buy a specific strap.

Social media
My Camel Pose Progress from my Instagram
The extent to which yogis should rely on social media is definitely debatable, and I can see the downside of it. For example, yoga is about a personal journey and shouldn't be about comparing yourself to others and trying too hard to be perfect. However, social media platforms such as Instagram can be incredibly helpful for developing a home yoga practice. Recording and uploading your yoga practice helps you connect with other yogis on the Instagram community, who can offer constructive criticism and advice about any postures you are struggling with. Additionally, you can challenge others to #StopDropandYoga or do regular Instagram yoga challenges, in which you do a set pose each day. Most importantly though, you can look back and track your own progress to keep motivated. Do remember though, that it is a journey and it is not about the end result.

Books & DVDs
Books and DVDs can be incredibly useful resources if you can't get to a yoga class. Books enable you to understand the postures and how to do them, and DVDs can serve a purpose as a class in your own home. The only downside for me is that I find yoga books distracting from the flow of a yoga practice, and DVDs can be very repetitive. That said, I would totally recommend the Total Yoga 4 Disc DVD Set.

YouTube
And finally, YouTube, quite possibly my favourite resource for an at home yoga practice. I subscribe to literally every yoga channel I hear about, so if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments! I love using YouTube for yoga because it is so varied and it has so much choice in length of practice, style of yoga and the teacher you want. Here is a list of links to the channels I'm subscribed to, I watch some more than others and there are several that I'm yet to even watch, but I will leave them all as everyone has their own preferences!

My Lotus Flower Tattoo
Thank you so much for reading, remember that if you have never done yoga before, please check that the resources you use are suitable for beginners! And please follow my Yoga Instagram account for updates on my progress!

Peace and love xo

Follow me on social media:

Facebook | Twitter | Snapchat | Instagram (Main) | Instagram (Yoga)

Labels: