How do I start a home practice?
Yoga citta vrtti nirodha. ‘Yoga stills the fluctuations of the mind’ is the best known of Patanjali’s sutras (I.2). The way to do that, he says, is through regular practice (abhyasa) and detachment (vairagya).
But what if, for financial or time reasons, we can only attend one class a week?
How do we build on the benefits of the yoga class and take them into our daily lives?
The answer is home practice.
Where to start with a home practice?
You may have heard your teacher recommend you start practising at home.
But – even though we know the benefits of the poses (asanas) -many of us struggle to get the mat out and just begin.
The setting and the tools
Perhaps you feel that you need a perfect studio setting? I’m here to tell you that you don’t. I’ve practiced yoga in my bedroom for many of the nearly 30 years I have been an Iyengar yoga practitioner.
Space for your mat is enough. If possible, pick a part of the house which is light, airy and free from distractions.
Iyengar yoga – as you probably know – uses equipment to help the practitioner deepen in her understanding of the poses, allowing for a mindful exploration of them. Props can make the harder poses more accessible too.
But you really don’t need that much to start a home practice.
Doing yoga asanas on a mat in your bedroom can work well
I’ve written elsewhere about props (See Archive). But here’s a quick rundown.
- Put your mat out.
- Have a chair handy.
- Get a blanket and some blocks (or fat books if you don’t have blocks).
- Make sure there’s a wall nearby, as the wall can be an invaluable teacher.
Motivation
Here’s a hack I use: If you find it hard to take that first step, you might try putting your yoga clothes beside your bed. This acts as encouragement when you see them first thing in the morning.
You may also want to light some incense or a candle in your chosen practice space.
Yoga is more than an exercise in physical fitness. Incense and other symbols such as candles, statues or plants can signal to your senses and nervous system that you are embarking on a sacred journey inwards (antaranga).
How long should I practice for?
You don’t need to spend a long time at first. Even 10 minutes is beneficial. Taking that first step can be the most challenging part.
If you begin, you may find that you become immersed in the practice. Time dissolves and before you know it you’ve gone further than your allotted time.
Don’t over-commit: a high bar can be hard to reach and lead to feeling demoralised.
Patanjali states that for true mental quiet, our asanas need to be based on abhyasa (repeated practice) and vairagya (detachment.) (Patanjali Sutra 1:12)
It’s more important to be regular in our practice (abhyasa) than to practice for a longer period but only occasionally.
Keep going with the consistent sessions. Today’s effort (sthira) is tomorrow’s ease (sukha).
When should I practise?
I like to begin my day with my practice, as it’s when I feel freshest.
The muscles may be a little stiffer in the morning than at the end of the day. But our challenges often become our teachers.
Start gently and build up gradually.
Practising in the afternoon or evening is also highly recommended, although the ‘obstacle’ then may be tiredness.
It’s really a personal choice and may well come down to when you have access to time and space.
Remember to leave some time after big a meal to digest before you do asana practice.
Having some yoga clothes beside the bed can help with a morning asana session
What do I practice?
Certified Iyengar yoga teachers are trained to guide you through carefully structured (sequenced) classes. But for a home practice, don’t feel you need to have such a full schedule.
You might just pick one pose which you enjoyed in a recent class. From there, you could build up to three poses per session. And so on.
If unsure of what poses to practise, choose standings such as trikonasana, parsvakonasana, virabhadrasana II, virabhadrasana I and parsvottanasana. They are the bedrock of all the other poses.
Going further, you could advance to balances such as vrksasana and ardha chandrasana and add adho mukha svanasana and adho mukha virasana. Remember always to end your practise with savasana.
If there’s a pose you found difficult in class, you might consider choosing that pose to study at home – especially if you didn’t enjoy it in class!
As you progress in the pose, your relationship with it changes. You might find that the ‘difficulty’ becomes what you most value in it.
When we find a pose strenuous, we may hold our breath. This is counterproductive. Remember to keep breathing normally through the nose throughout your practice.
Don’t worry about having a lot of equipment. Some basics will do just fine
For inspiration on yoga poses, check out BKS Iyengar’s classic, Light on Yoga, and – for a more accessible guide – take a look at Yoga the Iyengar Way, by Mira Mehta.
The perfect pose?
In the class your teacher will emphasise awareness points both for going into and for maintaining the poses. This is especially the case at beginner level.
The effect of all these instructions might be to make you feel that there is a ‘perfect pose’ to attain. That is not the case. There is no such thing. There is only where you are today, in this moment.
Aim for mastery rather than perfection. The journey is inward and the practice internal rather than performative.
This is the true meaning of vairagya – detachment. As the sages wrote, Do not be attached to the fruits of your efforts*.
Slowly, over time, you will find that you care more about the process than the final product.
As you progress in your home practice and move from beginner to intermediate stage, the teacher’s ‘instructions’ become internalised. You become your own internal guide.
Light candles or incense to create a conducive atmosphere
Iyengar yoga has a way of working on our ego. Rather than competing with ourselves or others, we start to acknowledge our limitations and we gain humility.
Remember that asanas, the postures, make up just one of Patanjali’s 8 limbs of yoga. Practice with dharana, focussed attention, and the benefits will come.
In short…
Home practice is not a substitute for going to classes. It’s a completely different thing. It’s important to keep going to classes with a certified Iyengar yoga teacher so that you can learn correct alignment in the postures.
But through home practice, we gain the opportunity:
- to practise pratyahara, the movement inwards of the senses;
- to go at our own pace, extending the time we are in the pose;
- to improve our understanding of our body and its needs.
Final words
Make notes of ideas and questions you have during your home session and ask your teacher’s advice if you’re unsure of something.
Stay safe. Have courage and patience. Just start: Even tadasana counts as practice.
*The Bhagavad Gita.
‘Yoga is a light, which once lit will never dim. The better you practice, the brighter the flame.’ BKS Iyengar