Starting a Home Practice
It can be
a difficult step going from yoga classes to a home practice.
But if we really want to reap the benefits that yoga has to
offer as well as gaining a better understanding of yoga and
the lifestyle that follows it then a home practice is a necessary
part of the daily routine.
Building
discipline and creating the right environment
If we decide
to start a home practice then we should make a decision to stick
with it, to make it a part of our daily life. We should look
at this time that we put aside as a time for ourselves, not
something that we have to do along with all the other things.
We should be excited and happy to do our practice. We should
decide on a time and place and not change it. This will help
to increase our discipline, willpower and concentration. The
time available will vary for everybody but the best times for
practice are the early morning, ideally before sunrise, or the
early evening, around sunset. Remember that you need to practice
on an empty stomach. That means at least 3 hours after meals
and half to one hour after drinks. The place should be spacious,
airy, clean and away from distractions. Clothing should be loose,
comfortable, clean and allow movement in all directions.
It is recommended
that you practice for 30 to 45 minutes daily but any amount
of time is good and beneficial. It is important to fit in what
you can and to be realistic. Even 10 to 15 minutes daily will
give benefits. You can always start with ten minutes and gradually
increase this. Don’t be tough on yourself and say you
have to practice for this much time everyday and do this, this
and this. It will cause more stress and tension. We should try
to be relaxed about our practice and not give ourselves high
expectations or demands.
What
to include in a practice
It is important
to try to have a balance of not just asanas but also pranayama,
mantra or meditation and relaxation. It will depend on what
you want to achieve from your practice as to what to include.
Daily asanas from all prepositions should be done. First from
the supine position then prone, sitting and standing . There
should be a balance of asanas from all categories, such as backbends,
forward bends, twisting postures, inversions, balancing postures
and relaxation postures. There should be warming up movements
to begin and regular shavasan or other relaxing postures. There
should be counter poses as well. That means if you have done
a back bend, then a forward bend should also be done. Different
asanas can be selected for different days as it is not possible
or necessary to practice all the asanas in one session. You
can alternate your yoga practice every second day.
It is recommended
that you try to incorporate some pranayama into your practice
if you have been practicing it with a teacher for some time.
If not then some simple deep breathing or alternate nostril
breathing can have amazing effects.
Mantras
or meditation are also a nice way to begin and end a session.
There are many mantras and you can choose a mantra that suits
and appeals to you. Or you can practice a little meditation
such as awareness of the breath.
Awareness
and breath
Awareness
is something that you will have to remember, without having
the teacher there to guide and remind you. Awareness of the
breath, of the movement of the body into and out of the asana,
of the body in the asana and any areas of tension.
The breath
is something we often forget about. The breath will help you
to get in and out of the asana as well as helping you to relax
more whilst in the asana.
Getting
over any obstacles
There can
be many obstacles in the way when we try to practice yoga. Patanjali
talks about them in the thirtieth sutra of the first Pada in
the Yoga Sutras. He says the obstacles are disease, dullness,
doubt, procrastination, laziness, craving, mistaken perception,
inability to achieve finer stages and instability. They are
known as the nine disruptive forces of consciousness and he
says these can be overcome by the practice of concentration
on one principle. He says that you must stick with your practice
and not change it. If you keep changing your practice then more
obstacles will come.
Some other
ways that can help you to get over these obstacles include have
regularity in other aspects of life such as sleeping and eating
times. This will help you to maintain regularity in your yoga
practice. Remember not to expect too much of yourself. What
is important is developing your routine. Even if you only get
on to your mat for 5 minutes of deep breathing, it is something
that will have positive effects. A yoga practice should enhance,
support and increase the ease in your life.
By sustaining
a regular practice we gain more discipline, benefits and enjoyment.
We will look forward to that time set out each day and see it
as a time for reenergising and renewal, for peace and quiet.
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati says, “The time that you
will be devoting to the practice of Yoga does not mean that
you will be snatching good time away from your life. On the
contrary, you will be adding hours of blissful health and enjoyment
to your life every day.”
Yoga leaves
its impact on the whole of human life and aims at all round
progress. Therefore, if we are to follow Yoga we should not
just do our 45 minute practice and forget about it for the rest
of the day. We should try to incorporate Yoga into all aspects
of our life. This will take time and through practice our awareness
and lifestyle will gradually transform into a more healthy,
happy and peaceful lifestyle. We will begin the ultimate journey
of self discovery.
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By Kate Woodworth
