Do yoga at home and reap the benefits

I started my yoga journey at home - it was the best thing I ever did. This was well before the rise of the internet. I was practicing by following pictures in a book and then watching a 30-minute DVD. Today it is so much easier to start a homebased Yoga practice, yet I still hear so many people tell me they can't and won't do Yoga at home.

For me, practicing yoga at home was my doorway. Now I see practicing Yoga at home as my students first step into taking charge of their spiritual journey and positively upleveling their Yoga practice. Here's the thing, Yoga is a practice and just like any other practice regularity and consistency are the key ingredients in becoming someone who is working towards a level of competence or mastery. All the research tells us, it is the person who practices the most, not the most talented person who ends up reaping the rewards of the practice.

Let me ask you these two questions: Why do you practice Yoga? Why do you keep coming back to the practice of Yoga?

Why do you bother to put on your yoga pants, jump in a car and go to a class once or a few times a week? I believe it boils down to three main reasons that my students turn up in my in-person classes:

1. To feel better in their body in some way. I started because I hated my body and needed to do exercise to keep it in shape and undo some of the damage I had done from overexercise and under/improper nourishment. Others start to ensure they get a regular stretch in so as to not let their other forms of exercise bind their body up in muscle tension. Others just want to have a well-rounded approach to their physical well-being and use Yoga to stay fit, strong and healthy in their body as part of their overall exercise regime. I know Yoga is a great way to establish a more aware, loving appreciation for your body.
2. To calm and still their mind. Over the years I have noticed a huge swing towards people taking restorative, meditation and mindfulness classes and integrating these classes into their weekly Yoga routine. I think this is because these Yoga limbs are an antidote to the constant demands and stresses of modern living. Even if the Yoga class is a standard physical asana approach people report feeling relaxed, calmer and more peaceful at the end of class than they did when they arrived. The breath-led movement gives the mind something else to focus on for a while and all the stimulation and noise of the outside world is shut out.
3. To begin to connect to something bigger than themselves. I teach a blatantly spiritual Yoga practice my classes have a heart-centered theme that reminds and connects my students to their divinity (or as I describe it their true nature). Yoga is a spiritual path, designed to support the student to find liberation from their own pain and suffering and to anchor into a state of peace, love and bliss. Some of my students come to deepen their spiritual journey through the practice of Yoga. Today, having cleared the major pain and suffering from my body and mind this is the primary reason for my Yoga practice and why I share Yoga with my students.

Whatever your reason for practicing Yoga is just perfect. And you may come to Yoga like I did for one reason and then find another reason keeps you coming back.

Whatever your reason for practicing Yoga, do you want to experience more of that outcome in your life? If so, then start a home practice and practice Yoga more. 

When you practice Yoga at home you get to enjoy the convenience of not having to travel, get stuck in traffic, find parking - you just get to roll your mat out in your practice space and begin - giving you more time back in your day to do the other things you love. As a busy, working mother I was and am still able to fit my Yoga practice around my life - I practiced during the kids day naps, then after they went to bed, when they were at school, and I was home for the afternoon alone. Yoga fit into the fullness of my home life.

As technology progressed, so too did my access to doing Yoga at home and I moved on from my book and DVD to an online studio where I was able to participate in pre-recorded classes - I am still a member of this studio and still take classes from their pre-recorded library, I choose the class based on the theme/focus that fits my mood and my available time. This morning I joined in a zoom class that was being led from a studio based in America. Every Saturday morning, I take a zoom class with my teacher who is based in Australia. And, from time to time I just jump on the mat and work my body through a practice that feels right for me on the day.

My yoga wouldn't be what it is today, if I hadn't supplemented my in-person classes, trainings, workshops and retreats with the ability to step onto my yoga mat anytime, anywhere and mostly at home. Here are my five tips to get you going with a home yoga practice:

• Join an online studio - we have an online studio membership available on our website with an extensive pre-recorded library and we also have a YouTube channel with plenty of free yoga classes available, check it out.
• Pick a time each day to do some Yoga - even if you are not feeling like it, tell yourself you will do five minutes, roll out your mat and get started with some movement and breathing exercises - then see how long you stay with the practice.
• Sign-up for some zoom classes and really commit to a time and day to practice Yoga at home - we have zoom classes that you can sign-up to available on our website.
• Love yourself whether you practiced yoga or not each day. Maybe journal each day about how you felt during the day and notice if there is a difference for the days you did Yoga and the days you didn't.
• Be part of a community or find an accountability partner to keep you committed - we have a wonderful community at Yoga to Transform and teachers who are willing to support you to take your practice to the next level. We'll always be there to support you on your Yoga journey.

Yoga is a practice that will make you feel better in body, mind and spirit. If you want to feel more better the best thing to do is more Yoga :)

We look forward to seeing you on the Yoga mat soon.

To learn more about Kristina Wischnowsky watch our Thankful Thursday episode here - https://youtu.be/kOMtC97qh9E

To learn more about the benefits of joining an online Yoga studio watch our Thankful Thursday episode here - https://youtu.be/lMmjQHJG4i4