I have a confession to make, I haven't been to a yoga class in months. MONTHS. I practice at home almost daily, and I'm kinda hooked. Here are the top 10 reasons you might want to take up a personal practice at home.
10. No one cares what you are wearing. You can wear whatever you feel comfortable in and no one else in the room cares. Heck, if you wanted you could practice naked.
9. You can listen to whatever you want. This is a big plus for me as music really impacts my mood. But there are times I want silence too. So you can choose, your favourite tunes or silence.
8. You decided when and for how long. Reality for most people is that it can be tricky to get to the studio, if they have a class that fits your schedule. You can decide how long your practice is, and when it is. Twenty minutes of yoga is better than no yoga.
7. No mirrors. So many people I know HATE the mirrors in yoga studios. They do serve a useful purpose for teaching alignment, but they make most people uncomfortable. I also believe it is important to learn what proper alignment FEELS like, rather than just what it looks like.
6. If you fall asleep in savasana, it doesn't matter! There is no class coming in after you, no one will hear you snore, and you can roll to bed!
5. No need for fancy equipment. You really don't even need a mat, it could cost you zero dollars. Most people want a mat for grip or padding, but it isn't necessary. The only other things I would recommend purchasing would be a block and strap (or steal a block from you kids toys, and grab the belt from your housecoat!).
4. You can pass gas. I have embarrassed myself so many times in class... usually boat pose... but at home you can (ahem) let it rip so to speak. It's called wind relieving pose for a reason!
3. Practice self-discipline or tapas. Developing a consistent home practice isn't easy. It is so tempting to watch netflix instead. The more you can hit your mat, they more of a priority it will become for you. Your body with crave it. And it is skill you can take off your mat, and apply to other things is your life.
2. Tailor make your own flow. You are the only one who knows how tired you are, what is sore, what your injuries are, and how a pose feels. You can do exactly what your body wants. Sometimes we want to move and sweat, and sometimes we need stillness and quiet. Yin and Yang.
1. You learn to listen and be in touch with your body. This is the biggest reason you need a home practice. A personal practice helps you connect with your physical body, your emotional body and your energetic body. Something we don't often do. You spend a hundred percent of your time with yourself, you should get to know it. Learn to recognize what you need, because you need to know what you need before you can get it.
So those are the reasons that I enjoy practicing at home. That being said, I am going to make a point of going to studio classes over my summer holidays because there are really good reasons for that too. Hmm, maybe that's the next post...
If you are interested in starting your own home practice but don't know where to begin, or don't think you can, let me know. I offer private classes and I can come help you start, and give you the tools you need to begin. Or maybe just be an accountability partner.
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