Home Yoga
Yoga-at-Home Tips
You don’t have to go to the gym to practise yoga. If you have the discipline, yoga at home is wonderful! Here are the basics for you to start with.
Theresa, 2006
“If you don’t use it, you lose it!” Let’s Begin!
Time, Space & Atmosphere
Time: Schedule a specific time (even a 15 minutes yoga habit is fantastic!) for your daily or regular practice of yoga. One can practise yoga at any time of the day, but it is not advisable to do it immediately upon waking up in the morning as the muscles may be too stiff. It is also not advisable to have your yoga session immediately after breakfast, lunch or dinner; after a heavy meal, have at least a 2-hour gap prior to doing yoga
Space: Cosy corner - reserve a place (a corner/room/hall) in your home which is clean and comfortable for yoga
Atmosphere: Quiet and peaceful. No phone calls (phones off the hook/in silent mode)
Mind, Body & Breath
Mind state: When doing yoga, as much as possible, we are to bring our attention to the ‘present moment’ (no worrying about next week’s project deadline and no mental replay of yesterday’s argument!)
Body-awareness: Throughout yoga (while moving into or holding a pose), be gently aware of our whole body: for instance, the stretch at the hips or pelvic region when doing the Triangle Pose, lower back muscle contraction whilst doing The Locust and the spinal stretching and counterstretching experienced in The Cat posture.
Breath awareness: Slow and steady? Inhalation and exhalation at a consistent rate? Full breath (abdominal, intercostal and clavicular)?
Attire and Equipment?
Wear loose comfortable clothing (cotton is fine) and practise barefoot!
Invest in a body-length sticky yoga mat; preferably one that comes with an easy-to-carry bag.
Easy does it!
Movement: A continuous smooth flow. Avoid jerky moves!
Relax and enjoy! Do not rush through yoga. Give your body its due care; it is like a machine and more…allow yourself the pleasure of caring for something that has served you for years and will continue to serve you better as you learn to appreciate it more
Patience! Yoga begins from wherever you are and as long as you practise consistently and persistently, yoga allows you to experience progress in a deep and personal manner (not in competition with anyone else!).
Pain is no gain! Yoga is to help and heal not to hurt. If we feel any undue discomfort or pain, we must stop, back off or make the necessary adjustments. Know your limits!
Warm Up!
No skipping warm-ups! We need to loosen our muscles, ease stiffness in the joints, increase blood circulation (‘cold’ muscles are more susceptible to injuries), and prepare the muscles, spine, heart and lungs for the more challenging poses.
Support
Friends & family: Communicate to others that the ‘yoga period’ is ‘sacred’. Therefore, unless there is an emergency, you are not to be disturbed. Better still, invite your friends and family to join in the yoga sessions:
1) It is wonderful to have all your loved ones join in for this preventive therapy and together be on the journey of healthy living
2) Yoga can help to improve relationships: a family that ‘plays’ together stays together
Holistic approach
Apart from doing yoga, a healthy lifestyle includes having sufficient sleep and rest, eating wholesome foods (preferably more sattvic foods such as vegetables, fresh fruits, grains, nuts and honey), and drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
