Many of my yoga students tell me that they’d like to practice yoga at home between classes, but they never seem to get around to it. Does that sound familiar? We use all the available reasons–no time, distracting internal dilemmas and life challenges, physical discomforts–to say that now is not the right time, but we’ll do it “some other time”.
If that sounds like you, I propose a re-set.
For me, a regular daily practice, even if it’s only ten minutes, keeps me in touch with myself in a way that sustains me. I connect with my deeper self without judgment, and find an inner steadiness to meet whatever challenges the day brings. I remember that I’m doing this for myself, not as a test or performance, and I have total choice about what to do. And each time I do it, I recognize how much better I feel afterward, both physically and mentally. In fact, when I tell myself I’m just going to do ten minutes, it frequently becomes thirty minutes or more because if feels so good.
The Sanskrit word for regular practice with sincere effort is “abhyasa”. In the Yoga Sutra, sage Patanjali highlights abhyasa as essential aspect of the spiritual path. We embrace abhyasa when we remember our highest intent, and apply our will power to move toward our goal. I’ve always been inspired by that word and all that it denotes.
Here are some practical considerations to help you to get started with self-compassion and curiosity.
First, recognize that some parts of your body might need extra care, such as stiffness in your knees, lower back, or shoulders. Don’t let this stop you! Proceed with caution, staying in touch with sensations that give you the green light or the red light.
Do you prefer to begin standing, with some simple movements, or start sitting or lying down?
I like to start my warm-up lying on the mat, usually with some time on the rubber balls, practicing Bodymind Ballwork to connect inwardly. The balls show me what’s going on in my body-mind today, and the release from this self-massage method clears the way for anything else I’m going to do. You can find out more about Bodymind Ballwork on my website, or in my book The Bodymind Ballwork Method: A Self-Directed Practice to Help You Move with Ease, Release Tension, and Relieve Chronic Pain.
Then be curious: What would feel really good right now? What is an appealing goal for today? Getting energized? Building strength gradually? Releasing tightness to move more freely? Releasing agitation to become more centered and calm? Moving enough to feel alive?
Think of poses you’ve done in class that are familiar enough that you don’t need to worry, or ask yourself – Am I doing this right? To give my students this confidence, I teach a consistent warmup in my classes so students will know how to do it on their own. Many people tell me: “I hear your voice as I’m doing it.” You can see parts of this sequence in my YouTube videos called Daily Floor Stretches and Cat-Cow-Dog-Cobra-Pigeon.
Then build in some challenge – perhaps some Sun Salutation, planks, squats, standing poses, backbends, or balance poses. Once you know the basics of these poses, you can adapt them to your needs each day, like using a chair, block or the wall if it helps you to enjoy the pose. There are many good ones to choose from!
Finally reward yourself with a resting pose, either with blankets or other props customized for comfort, or just simply lying on your back in simple Corpse Pose and following your breath. Your body will know exactly how to assimilate the benefits of your practice, and you’ll get up refreshed and ready for anything that’s next in your day.
I invite you to check out my recent book Empowered Aging: Everyday Yoga Practice for Bone Health, Strength and Balance. There are many suggestions there about how to structure a practice that will feel so good that you’ll want to do it every day.