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CONTENTS

1. Starting an at-home yoga practice
2. Methods to do yoga at home
3. Learn the yoga pose groups
4. Methods to create a balanced yoga practice
5. Add variety to your at-home yoga practice
6. Harmonizing your energies
7. Find purpose in your practice

YouTube videos and Zoom yoga classes afford us unprecedented options for when, where, and with whom we practice yoga. But there’s something to be said for skipping the “class” altogether in favor of a private home practice–just you and your mat. Designed by you, a house practice lets you take as much time as you would like exploring poses that spark your curiosity, challenge your body, or quiet your mind.

Whether you’re just starting to embrace yoga, or have been practicing for years, follow this guide to learn tips on how to design a practice that is precisely what your body and mind need. Written by noted yoga instructor Judith Hanson Lasater—certainly one of YJ’s founders and a frequent contributor—it is going to show you how to plan and cultivate a private practice that can evolve to serve you well for years to return. –YJ Editors

Starting an at-home yoga practice

Developing and maintaining a house practice doesn’t come without challenges. Beginners face the duty of remembering poses to practice; more experienced students face the dilemma of deciding what emphasis to decide on during any particular session.

Even teachers and students with many years on the mat could be daunted by the difficulties of maintaining and renewing a house practice. Illness, family obligations, boredom, travel, and that universal bugaboo, a perceived lack of time: All these obstacles, and more, will inevitably appear.

Even in case you’ve established a robust desire and commitment to practice often, knowing which poses to do today is some of the concrete challenges of a house practice. You may meet this challenge by selecting a selected sequence of poses that can meet your needs for health and wholeness.

Some systems of asana practice, like Ashtanga Vinyasa, use established groupings or  sequences of poses, so deciding which poses and in what order will not be a problem. But many systems don’t designate the order of poses; selecting the sequence is left to the coed. And even students who practice set sequences just like the Ashtanga series can profit by working especially diligently on different poses on different days.

Even with years of normal class attendance under your belt, in case you don’t have the technical knowledge to create a well-rounded and well-organized home practice, that practice may thoroughly remain spotty. It probably won’t sustain itself—otherwise you—over the long haul.

Doing yoga at home gives you the chance to explore what your body, mind, and spirit need from the practice on any given day. (Photo: MoMo Productions/Getty Images)

Methods to do yoga at home

To create a satisfying practice that you just approach with enthusiasm (at the very least on most days) requires two basic kinds of information: understanding what you wish, and knowing tips on how to arrange your practice.

1. Understand what you wish out of your practice today

Before you start to practice, answer this query for yourself: What do I really want from my practice today?

If you happen to are very drained from an extended airplane trip, for instance, you would possibly select a restorative practice to replenish your energy. At least, you would possibly start with resting poses after which see where the practice leads you. If you happen to find your energy increases, you possibly can all the time move into more dynamic asanas.

Then again, in case you start out feeling energetic, you would possibly use a more vigorous session to channel that energy. You possibly can select to emphasise standing poses or arm balances, making challenge and strength your focus.

No matter what you truly do, in case your practice is an expression of what’s alive in you now, it is going to show you how to stay present during your time on the mat. That have can function a model for practicing presence all day long. It would also satisfy you and help offer you the impetus to practice again tomorrow. Then again, in case you force yourself to practice because you think that you need to, since you didn’t yesterday, or for every other more external reason, even probably the most technically polished poses won’t answer your inner need for ease and wholeness.

2. Understand the principles of sequencing yoga poses

Once what sort of practice you would like today, you want to resolve the order through which you’ll do those asanas. Sequencing involves understanding how poses relate to at least one one other. But before you possibly can understand the effect a pose has in relation to others, you need to first turn into aware of the consequences of the person poses in your body and mind. You then will higher understand where exactly to put each asana in your sequence.

One strategy to increase your understanding of a pose’s effects is to carry it longer than you often would—say, by counting breaths and progressively, over a period of days, increasing the variety of breaths as you hold the pose. Doing this will likely make it clearer, for instance, that backbends tire your arms quickly. With that knowledge, chances are you’ll resolve to focus more on arm strengthening and remember to follow backbends with poses that don’t tax your already drained arms.

One other strategy to observe the effect that a pose has on you is to practice it after which lie quietly for a moment, eyes closed, listening to all of the sensations that arise in your body. The more clear you might be in regards to the effects of a pose, the more understanding you’ll have about exactly where to incorporate it in your practice.

Some points to recollect about sequencing:

• Concentrate to the consequences of a pose before you select the subsequent pose.
• The perfect counterpose will not be a pose that moves your body in the precise opposite position. The counterpose for a deep backbend, for instance, will not be a forward bend; it may possibly be a lesser backbend or a twist.
• If you happen to select an counterpose, watch out not to maneuver to probably the most extreme opposite movement straight away. As an alternative, proceed progressively toward that movement, using several intermediate movements to get there.

Different categories of yoga poses have different effects in your body. A pose reminiscent of Virabhadrasana 2 (Warrior 2 Pose) offers stretching, strengthening, and balance. (Photo: Vgajic/Getty Images)

Learn the essential yoga pose groups

To start to create effective asana sequences you enjoy, take into accout that yoga poses fall into several groups, analogous to food groups. Most nutritionists will agree that health comes from balancing our intake of protein, carbs, and fats. And any particular person’s dietary needs could also be different at different times. But to be healthy, all of us need a few of all these sorts of nutrients.

An identical balance is obligatory in asana practice as well. On a certain day chances are you’ll need more of 1 particular sort of pose, but generally you wish a few of all of the essential sorts of poses.

Listed here are the essential groupings of asanas.

Standing Poses

This group includes many poses, including Utthita Trikonasana (Prolonged Triangle Pose), Utthita Parsvakonasana (Prolonged Side Angle Pose), the varied Virabhadrasanas (Warrior Poses), and Vrksasana (Tree Pose), in addition to other one-legged balancing poses. I also place Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) on this group.

Arm Balances

The arm balances are a comparatively small group of poses that require each balance and strength. They include such poses as Bakasana/Kakasana (Crane/Crow Pose), Tittibhasana (Firefly Pose), and Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose). I also include on this group other poses that require arm strength, like Plank Pose and Chaturanga Dandasana (4-Limbed Staff Pose).

Inversions

Inversions draw on the vertical power related to standing poses in addition to the upper body strength needed for arm balances. This category of poses includes Salamba Sarvangasana (Supported Shoulderstand), Salamba Sirsasana (Supported Headstand), Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand), and Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance), after all, but additionally Halasana (Plow Pose) and others that put your hips higher than your head. These poses are considered by many to be on the core of asana practice.

Nevertheless, these powerful, satisfying poses may cause injury if performed incorrectly. I strongly advise you to learn them directly from a professional teacher who’s capable of guide you personally. This is particularly the case if you’ve health conditions including menstruation, pregnancy, hypertension, and glaucoma.

I prefer not to incorporate Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose) on this group. Despite the fact that your head is lower than your heart (one technical definition of inversion), the inversion effect is muted by the incontrovertible fact that your legs are semi-vertical.

Backbends

A fourth asana group consists of backbends, reminiscent of Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), Salabhasana (Locust Pose), and other basic spinal extension movements. This group also includes Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog Pose), Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward-Facing Bow Pose), and poses just like the Kapotasana (King Pigeon Pose) variations.

Twists

Because the name suggests, these poses involve a spinal rotation. They are frequently done sitting, but some could be done lying down as well. It will not be a superb idea to finish your practice with a twist due to their effect on the spine. As an alternative practice at the very least one symmetrical forward bend—Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) or Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)—after your final twist and before Savasana (Corpse Pose).

Forward bends and other floor poses

This group includes various miscellaneous seated poses apart from twists. All are done while sitting or reclining on the ground. I’d group forward-bending movements which can be done from standing, like Uttanasana and Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend) with the standing poses.

I also group the opposite seated or floor poses within the forward-bending category. Despite the fact that they usually are not actually forward bends, they do involve hip flexion. Such poses include the varied meditation poses, including Padmasana (Lotus Pose); hip and groin openers reminiscent of Baddha Konasana (Certain Angle Pose), Hanumanasana (Monkey Pose), and Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose); reclining poses reminiscent of Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose) and Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose); and quite a few others.

Restorative poses

This group includes Savasana, the comfort pose that ought to be done at the top of each session, in addition to other supported relaxing poses reminiscent of Supta Baddha Konasana (Supported Certain Angle Pose) or Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose).

A well-rounded yoga practice at home incorporates standing and seated poses that use all parts of your anatomy. (Photo: Tom Werner/Getty Images)

Methods to create a balanced yoga practice

The muse of a private home practice is a basic, well-rounded pose sequence that doesn’t emphasize any particular area of your body. As an alternative, it attempts to maneuver your spine in all directions. It includes vertical stretching, inversion, forward bending, backbending, twisting, in addition to leisure. This basic sequence must also try and equally increase balance, strength, and suppleness.

A well-rounded foundational sequence should include at the very least one or two poses from each of the principal groups. It’s a superb idea, especially if you’re fairly latest to creating your personal sequences, to practice the pose groups in roughly the identical order listed above: standing poses first, then the arm balances, inversions, backbends, twists, and forward bends, ending with resting poses. As you turn into more knowledgeable in regards to the poses’ effects and the relationships between them, you possibly can begin to create other, more varied sequences.

It could be tempting to skip the comfort at the top of practice. Please don’t. This offers your body a likelihood to integrate all the brand new information—physiological in addition to mental—that the previous poses have created. A period of rest and integration is particularly essential for us within the bustle of contemporary life. Fifteen or 20 minutes of lying at rest will reduce your stress levels and affect your health and well-being in lots of positive ways.

Model of a Well-Rounded Practice

strategy to initiate a well-rounded sequence is with warming poses that require strong and massive movements, like Sun Salutations and standing poses. End with poses requiring smaller movements and more “letting go,” like poses done seated or lying on the ground. It will give your practice a natural progression from more activity to more introspection.

Because Sun Salutations and standing poses use large muscle groups and require large movements, they appear to capture your attention more effectively in the beginning of a practice period. The quieter seated poses, alternatively, require a deeper level of inner awareness that could seem easier to attain at the top of a rehearsal when your mind is a little more settled and your body is more stretched and relaxed.

Here’s an example of a temporary but effectively well-rounded rehearsal.

• Begin with Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) to stretch your hamstrings and calves, open your chest and shoulders, and customarily wake yourself up.
• Move into Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) to stretch your back and your legs in addition to your hip joints.
• Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) and Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) come next. They serve to strengthen your back muscles and posterior shoulder muscles, stretch your chest, and create mobility within the spine.
• After backbends, move on to inversions. Either Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand) or Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall Pose) will help to rest your legs and quiet your mind.
• Wind your practice down with forward bends. Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose) will stretch your hamstrings and your back, especially your lower back. It would also open your hip on the bent-knee side. Along with offering a hamstring stretch, Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) creates a mild pressure on the digestive organs and will promote gut health. Each of those forward bends are frequently quieting for the nervous system and mind.
• Finally, Savasana (Corpse Pose) integrates your whole practice. Fifteen to twenty minutes of rest in Corpse Pose reduces stress, improves immune function, and may offer you a way of ease and well-being that sometimes lasts for hours.

If you practice yoga at home, you possibly can resolve what you ought to deal with every day. Some days, chances are you’ll wish to put your attention on hamstring stretches. Other days may call for back bends. (Photo: Hobo_018/Getty Images)

Add variety to your at-home yoga practice

When you’ve created a yoga sequence, you possibly can begin to create other personal practice routines for more variety or to attain more specific goals. Every day’s practice ought to be complete and well-rounded, but it may possibly also deal with a selected group of poses, a selected a part of your body, or a selected energetic shift you want to to create.

Consider your practice in long-range terms: not only how you ought to sequence your practice today, but how you ought to sequence it over the subsequent week, the subsequent month, and even the subsequent yr. If you’ve identified poses, groups of poses, or parts of your body as weak links in your practice, chances are you’ll select to present them more time and a focus until you are feeling you’ve achieved more balance.

Vary your practices from day after day

One strategy to create a well-rounded practice over time is to divide your week up into specific practice segments, alternating between the more vigorous and the more restorative practices. For instance, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday chances are you’ll wish to practice more vigorous poses reminiscent of standing poses, arm balances, backbends. Or perhaps deal with standing poses on Monday, arm balances on Wednesday, and backbends on Friday. You possibly can devote Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday to forward bends, twists, and other poses done on the ground. Then Sunday could be a superb time for restorative poses for profound rest. In fact your needs within the moment come before any plan that you just create.

Take your practice of certain poses deeper

One other approach to various your practice over time is to include sessions that deal with a selected group of poses. Resolve which group of poses you ought to consider that day and consider those. Let’s say you ought to deal with backbends, for instance.

Begin with several warming poses like standing poses, Sun Salutations, and/or arm balances. Then move on to basic backbends like Locust Pose, Cobra, and Upward-Facing Dog. Practice each of those two times or more, perhaps by adding a slight variation every time. For instance, you can do Locust with just your arms, then just your legs. Then lift one arm and one leg, and eventually practice with each legs and arms. Or you can also put yoga blocks under your hands in Upward-Facing Dog to facilitate the lift of your chest. Regularly add more difficult backbends, so the majority of your practice that day is taking you from easy to intermediate to difficult backbending movements.

This approach to sequencing can mean you can go deeper than usual in a selected sort of pose. But after all, concentrate to your ability level and don’t push yourself beyond it. And all the time include counter poses in your sequence. If you happen to are practicing backbends, for instance, allow time at the top of the session to practice just a few twists to alleviate your back.

After a focused practice like this, you would possibly enjoy going back to your foundational practice for just a few days. After a day or two do that approach with one other category of poses.

Create themes

A rather different strategy to balance your practice over time is to create theme sessions that deal with a selected a part of your body. For instance, you would possibly decide to deal with your shoulders for 3 days this week. You may select poses that can stretch them reminiscent of Down Dog or Garudasana (Eagle Pose), and follow them with poses that can strengthen them, reminiscent of Chaturanga Dandasana and Headstand. On the opposite days of the week, return to your basic well-rounded practice.

The next week, you possibly can shift your focus to a different a part of the body. You might decide to work in your hip joints, selecting poses like Warrior II, Baddha Konasana (Certain Angle Pose), Upavistha Konasana (Wide-Angled Seated Forward Bend), and other poses which stretch the hip area. If you happen to select this pattern of sequencing poses, you should definitely warm up first with just a few standing poses and end with a leisure pose.

If you begin a private yoga practice at home, don’t forget to include pranayama (breathwork) and meditation. Sitting in repose helps you receive the total advantages of the practice.  (Photo: Goodboy Picture Company/Getty Images)

Harmonizing your energies

Almost everyone who practices yoga will let you know that their “energy” feels different after they’ve practiced. That is little doubt certainly one of the principal the reason why we come to the mat: to alter our experience of how energy moves within the body. We wish more energy or energy that’s smoother, more even, quieter, and fewer agitated.

One other aspect of sequencing has to do with consciously manipulating two of the principal energies within the body, prana and apana. Prana is believed to exist above the diaphragm and to generally tend to maneuver upward; it’s “masculine energy” and controls the guts and the respiration. Apana, it is alleged, exists below the diaphragm and has a bent to maneuver downward. It’s “feminine energy” and controls the organs of the abdomen, pelvis, and legs. In the traditional teachings of India, these two energies are considered extremely significant in the general health and spiritual evolution of the practitioner.

One strategy to organize your house practice is to first ascertain which energy you ought to increase, then practice poses that can accomplish this. If you happen to are feeling scattered and fatigued, chances are you’ll wish to practice inversions to extend apana. If you happen to are dull and unenthusiastic, standing poses may help to extend prana. Forward bends and supine poses quiet each prana and apana.

This could be a rewarding strategy to practice, nevertheless it does first take a little bit study to grasp how different poses affect prana and apana. If you happen to are thinking about working with these energies, seek the advice of a yoga teacher trained in this data. You may as well seek the advice of written sources for this information reminiscent of The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga by Swami Vishnudevananda.

Advice for starting yoga at home

Regardless of what approach you utilize in constructing your personal practice, keep in mind that the purpose of practice will not be simply to turn into more proficient on the poses. It’s not even to enhance your health. These are worthy goals, but much more importantly, your house practice can ignite awareness about the way you operate on this planet. Your practice reveals the way you reply to difficulty and ease, to consistency and alter, to the familiar and the uncomfortable, to humility and ego, to clinging and letting go. It will probably inform the best way you fall into the universal human strategies for living. If your house practice draws you deeper into such awareness, it is going to achieve its most significant purpose.

This text has been updated. Originally published August 28, 2007. 

About our contributor

Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, PT, is a noted yoga instructor, physical therapist, and creator of ten books, including Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in On a regular basis Life, Yoga Myths, and Teaching Yoga with Intention. Visit her website for details about live events and digital courses.