"To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise." ~Gene Tunney
I practiced yoga for years -- always in studios and gyms, always lead by instructors. Even though I often practiced ashtanga yoga, which is the exact same sequence of postures in every single class, I still had to have an instructor lead the class. I envied people that could practice by themselves at home. It meant they could do it on their own time which made it easier to have a regular practice, and it also saved money. For some reason, home practice seemed impossible to me. I could never remember the sequence and I was sure I would miss things.
Then I started my own business, and like many entrepreneurs, I found my time shrunk exponentially.My stress level grew at the same rate that my free time (and money) shrank, so I needed yoga even MORE than before. It became very difficult to get to yoga class, and when I did, I was often late so they wouldn't let me in. As the amount of time I had for yoga declined, I found myself taking the Spiritual Warrior class at Jivamukti Yoga studio. The class was only an hour, and it covered a pretty comprehensive set of poses. Again, it was the exact same sequence every time.
Jivamukti handed out the sequence on paper to students. I started to try to do it at home - all I needed was a yoga mat. That worked well, and eventually I found Yoga International, which had the class on video. Technology was what I had been looking for! Yoga International is an incredible source of classes and information. You can take several different classes and do a deep dive into postures. Besides Yoga International, you can find many online sites and classes. Do Yoga With Me is another popular site that is also free.
I can't believe it took me so long to practice at home! A class at home can be just as good as a class at a studio - the difference is like listening to recorded music or watching it live. You need both in your life! My schedule is still crazy, so I've been practicing solely at home with Yoga International for the last few months. Eventually I will get back in a studio, but I will always do yoga at home. It's time and cost effective, and while my goal was to practice yoga twice a week in the past, adding home practice makes reaching the goal infinitely easier. I may even be able to do it more than twice a week!
Before you do any yoga at home, make sure you have a solid base of practice and knowledge. You should be experienced enough that you can make your own corrections. If you are a beginner, PLEASE practice with a teacher for a few months before practicing by yourself. You don't want to injure yourself - you have to be able to get into poses safely and know if you are doing them correctly.
What to do - Practice Yoga at Home
- Start a home practice only after you have practiced for a few months with an instructor that has corrected your poses so that you know when your postures are correct.
- Have the right equipment at home. You need a yoga mat at the least, and if you need any other props make sure you have them available.
- Find the right class. There are a lot of alternatives online. Yoga International or Do Yoga With Me are good places to start. Sift through the offerings and find ones that are good for you.
- Fit your yoga class into your schedule, on your own time and enjoy!
Exercise: Ran 3.8 miles, sit ups and push ups
What I ate: udon noodles + spinach + kimchi + egg, cheese, rice crackers, 4 clementines, 3 dark chocolate squares, 2 hot chocolates, hot tea, brown rice, string beans with belacun sauce, Thai Drunk Noodles, 30 ounces of water, fish oil pill and vitamin
