How to start your home yoga practice
And how I started mine
Hey there,
This month Between a Rock and a Hard Pose will have more of a focus on yoga, plus the usual reading, watching and listening recommendations.
Back in middle school I heard yoga and pilates were great for horse riding (and later rock climbing), so as a young nerdy teen, I would regularly visit my local library to borrow books, CDs and DVDs on yoga and pilates. I would diligently practice down dog and the Pilates 100 in my bedroom and the living room.
When I started university and joined a local gym I attended some body balance, yoga and pilates classes to explore these practices further.
Later while studying university through the army in Canberra, I became fed up with the gym after 18 months of a knee injury and began attending a local yoga and Pilates studio. I did this under the guidance of an experienced physiotherapist who was the owner of the studio.
It was at this time that my yoga practice became crucial for my mental health. And along with more targeted rehab, sourced outside of the army, my knee injury improved significantly. I quickly went from attending classes twice a week to almost every day.
At the end of 2013, at just 21, I made the to accept a medical discharge, part with the army and move back to Adelaide. This also meant leaving the yoga studio I dearly loved and moving back into my parents home with very limited access to in-person yoga classes. So I returned to that home practice I had begun in my childhood bedroom, almost 10 years earlier, this time with keen interests in vinyasa and yin yoga.
I scoured the internet for resources to help guide me. From simple sun salutation print outs (pictured below), to yoga books recommended by my Canberra teachers and memberships to the early and very clunky online yoga platforms.
I fumbled my way through transitions, explored using my breath differently. Followed the sun around the backyard during winter. Seeking space, fresh air and warmth.
After 12 months living back in Adelaide building a home practice I was invited to attend teacher training with one of my Canberra teachers. During my live-in 200 hour yoga teacher training (October to November 2014) I learnt the sequencing I needed to teach vinyasa and yin yoga, and the confidence to build my own practice creating the sequences my mind and body needed.
Today my home practice has served me through the highs of life where I have had energy to burn and milestones to celebrate, as well as injuries, breakups and burnout. A home yoga practice has given me the space and privacy to cry on my yoga mat, laugh and break into dance and drift off into a lengthy savasanas on weekends with no need to go anywhere quickly.
Here are some things have learned through developing my home yoga practice and with students over the years.
Keep it short, simple and sweet. A 60 minute home practice is daunting when you first start out and not at all necessary. Most of my home practices in the morning are 20 minutes of meditation followed 10-45 minutes of vinyasa or yin yoga. Typically a Saturday or Sunday afternoon is when I have the time for an extended practice and these days this is often yin yoga followed by a lengthy savasana.
When I work one to one with private clients who want to build a home yoga practice, I teach them a short and sweet classical sun salutation sequence that they can start with and build on over time. If they are need of a more restorative practice I recommend a short legs up the wall sequence.
Image 1: Sun Salutation/Surya Namaskar sequence (original source unknown). Image 2: Sun Salutation/Surya Namaskar sequence glued into my first journal of yoga sequences (pre-teacher training). Image 3: Laura with butterfly legs up the wall. Practice at home guided and self guided. There are so many great options for online yoga classes these days (including my Yoga at Home library accessible through my newsletter). Online classes can be great to turn your mind off and to follow the guidance of a teacher. They can help you explore new sequences and give you a taste of different styles of yoga when you are feeling stuck in a rut with your self guided practice. A self guided yoga practice is great for tuning in and moving intuitively, allowing for more freedom in your body. It gives you freedom from any electronic devices, meaning your practice is for anytime
Set a time for it. One of the first blocks to move past when starting a yoga practice is when to do it. Circumstances will rarely be 100% perfect for it. First thing in the morning has always been the time for my home yoga practice and once I became a teacher I quickly decided teaching at 6am was not for me, this was my personal yoga time. Setting this time aside meant I don’t have to think about where it fits into my week. For you it might be 10 minutes in your lunch break or as soon as you get home from work.
Do you want the freedom to practice yoga at home but aren’t sure where to start?
For $10 a month you can access my online library of yoga classes. Classes are 7 to 30 minutes, with a new class released on the first Sunday of each month.
Upcoming Yoga Classes at Jeeva
Have you joined me for a class at Jeeva yet? New students can currently access a special discount on the new student intro pass. For only $20 enjoy unlimited yoga for 2 weeks, usually $35!
Vinyasa 1 ~ 8am Saturdays
Join me at 8am Saturday mornings for an all levels Vinyasa class. Over 60 minutes of Vinyasa Yoga we using the foundations of Asanas (postures) and Pranayama (breathwork) to build a flowing and fluid class. During the month of June we will be exploring our hips. This will be the last Saturday to practice with me for a couple of weeks, while I take some time off.
Yin by Candlelight ~ 7pm Friday 28 June
Yin by Candlelight is a 90 minute restful Yin Yoga sequence to help you wind down from the week. The June Yin by Candlelight will explore movements of our spine. Learn more here.
Recommendations
Reading The Women by Kristin Hannah. This was one of my birthday books from Matt and I’m loving it! If the name rings a bell, it might be because Kristin Hannah is the author behind the novel that became the tv series Firefly Lane (which I have not watched).
Watching and loving the pure drama which is the new season of Bridgerton!
Listening to Braiding Sweetgrass through Spotify. I’ve had this in paperback for a few years now, but never got past the first few chapters. Wednesday night, exhausted and stressed from work, I skipped out on climbing to instead take a bath while I listened to the soothing voice of Robin Wall Kimmerer read her book. I’ve decided I am mostly going to reserve listening to this book during baths, yin yoga and other relaxing settings as opposed to being a cleaning or driving audiobook.