You might be thinking what a strange topic for a yoga teacher to blog about. Surely they want people to come to their classes? Yes, of course I want (and need!) people to come to the classes that I teach, and that other great teachers offer too. However, the benefits of yoga are such that if people can get themselves to the point of trying a home practice , then it can support and multiply the benefits of coming to class exponentially. Class plus home practice is a magic formula. So what follows here are 5 great reasons to practise at home:
- You can fit around the demands of your daily life. Whilst it's ideal to set yourself up for the day by practising early in the morning you can practise anytime that suits and for whatever period of time you have available. Even 10 minutes a day can work wonders.
- Wear what you like! No need to worry about whether your leggings or shorts are clean. Practise in your knickers or pyjamas if you want to.
- Make it the practice you need that day. Some days you may want to work hard and build heat and energy. Other days you may be tired and need a gentle restorative approach. You can decide according to how your body feels that day.
- Eliminate the fear of making a fool of yourself. As long as you know how to practise safely (more about that in a future blog) you can try that funky arm balance you saw demonstrated in class as often as you like and fall on your bum without worrying about how daft you look. Practice may not always make perfect but it surely goes a long way towards it.
- Do more of the poses you love. Everyone has poses that they hope the teacher will include in the class (as well as those they'd rather not have included!). Mostly the reason is that in our body those poses just feel really good delivering exactly what our bodies need and respond to. I always suggest practising what you enjoy doing at home. It's a guaranteed way to motivate yourself to get on your mat. Make it a treat not a torment is my motto.
Next week on the blog I'll cover how to go about actually designing your home practice and deciding what to do.