Many yoga students do not develop a regular practice at home, perhaps because they can not concentrate at home, they feel lost with out the guidance of a teacher, or because they can not make the time unless they go to a formal class. In response to these reasons, the following lessons are important:
- As the student progresses, he must grow to realize that developing discipline and concentration are among important skills that yoga brings to the student.
- The student can only be guided by the teacher; ultimately, he will discover that his own inner wisdom is the best instructor for his personal yoga practice.
- Time is not necessarily an important component of a practice. Whether one practices for five minutes or 50, it is simply important to acknowledge and honor the body and mind on a daily basis. Furthermore, the ideal times for practice are upon waking and going to bed, when one would most likely be at home.
Regardless of what asanas or techniques you choose, the following guidelines will help you structure your practice.
Center and Listen
Sit in a comfortable position and listen to your breath. You do not have to meditate. Just try to be quite so you can turn your awareness to your body and mind. Ask yourself how you feel. What is your mood? What hurts? What is bothering you mentally? These are the things you should address in your practice. Do not feel as if you have to repeat a routine from one of your teacher's classes, unless you are doing a formal series like Astanga or Bikram.
Warm Up
- Include any movements that loosely and fluidly move the major joints, especially the spine. These types of movements can be done sitting, standing, or in an all-fours position.
- Awaken the breath and internal organs with rapid twists or deep breathing.
- Side stretches, gentle twists, and downward dogs also wake up the muscles and increase blood flow throughout the body.
Include Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Hatha yoga is a physical exercise and therefore entails some risk of injury. Awareness is your best protection. After warming up, stand in mountain pose and feel your body in proper alignment. Become aware of all of its parts and how they feel. Remember that the body will tell you if it is in danger as long as you listen, but maintaining proper alignment is the easiest way to avoid injury.
Set the Mood
We all change from day to day, so for some students, it makes sense to adapt one's yoga practice to the person he is on a given day. Calming postures like child's pose and plough pose soothe agitation or nervousness. Restorative postures help with stress and fatigue. Sun salutations and strengthening poses such as warriors and arm balances encourage positive energy on days when you feel motivated and strong. Heart opening postures help with depression and frustration. The list is endless. Because yoga is a complete science of the self, you can always find a posture or technique that is therapeutic and suits your needs.
Hit Your Trouble Areas
Based on what you learned while centering yourself, focus on the areas that need attention in the body. Tight hips? Try pigeon pose. Tension in the shoulders? Try plough pose. Aching knees? Do flowing lunges. Don't think of your practice as what you should do, but what you need to do. And don't worry about doing it right. If it feels good, you are doing the right thing for you.
Challenge Yourself
Always try something you think you can't do with the attitude that you can and one day, you will! Remember, failing is fun, especially with balancing poses. A little fall or stumble is goofy and humbling and should make you laugh, not feel frustration. Your yoga should always be part play. It helps keep you young.
Calm and Restore
Never walk off your mat with a high heart rate or active mind. End with calming exercises, particularly reclined postures like easy twist or knee to chest. It is best to end in savasana, but don't beat yourself up if you don't feel like it one day or don't have time.
Yoga is a fun way to keep your body healthy and strong. Just as we try to eat well and sleep well in our homes, we should practice well too.
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