Why should I want to start a daily yoga practice? How would I even begin?

You might have seen posts on social media from yogis talking about the importance of their own personal practice. To some, curating and maintaining a personal practice might seem like quite the hurdle to undertake! Luckily, it’s more simple than you think. I’ve broken down some reasons why it would be lovely for you to start taking your yoga practice into your own hands and ways you can stick to your goals.

How would I even start doing yoga at home?

The answer is a bit more simple than you think; you just start. You might be rolling your eyes at me right now, saying “Kelsey, how is that helpful?” I say to you with confidence that what I said actually is. You never know how great something can be until you start. Ways to start are simple: find a space somewhere you can be by yourself. Give yourself 5 minutes to do some common asanas (postures). For example, this could be your sequence: cross-legged seat, childs pose, standing forward fold, downward facing dog and end on your back with reclined butterfly. Take these 5 minutes to listen to your breath in each of these asanas. How long would I hold each pose you might ask? 3-5 cycles breaths is a lovely amount of time! Here’s another tip: yoga is more than the poses we make with our bodies. By finding a comfortable seat to close down your eyes an tap into the rhythm of your inhales and exhales for 5 minutes…that’s yoga. When your mind wanders and you start thinking about your to-do list, just acknowledge your thought, say “okay, no thanks.” and tap back into your inhales and exhales. You can even think to yourself “I am breathing in, I am breathing out” to keep yourself in a meditative space. Repeating a mantra, affirmation or a phrase to stay grounded in your seat works as well! There are plenty of free online yoga classes on YouTube. Check out my channel for short classes! There are even free apps that can create a yoga sequence for you to follow along with if you’d rather not be guided by a person and are just looking for some inspiration. Tummee is also a great website with pre-built yoga sequences.

What do I need to create my own space for yoga?

You’ll be surprised that you don’t need much! A quiet area is suggested, only because it could help you tap into your inner landscape a bit easier. You don’t need a fancy, expensive yoga mat either. There are plenty of affordable options online or in stores. Hell, you don’t even need a mat. They simply offer a bit of cushion for a hard surface. They do provide a bit of stability as well, as it won’t slide around when you are on your hands and feet.. You could use a blanket, towel, rug, your carpet, anything you have at home. Once you have your little space, whether its in an extra room, in front of your couch, or next to your bed, set up a vibe. In order to set up a vibe, consider your senses: touch, smell, sound, sight. Tidy up your area a touch before starting (or maybe throw your shit out of sight like I do). A clean space can help our mind empty. Light a candle, diffuse some essential oils, light incense; have an inviting, signature scent so that when you smell it, your mind is driven to practice. There are lots of yoga or zen playlists on music streaming services and YouTube. You might want to choose music with less vocals than you’d typically listen to. Or, play your favorite album that makes you feel connected to yourself. Of course, you can omit listening to music when you practice. All options are welcome! You can always create props with items you already have: stack of sturdy books in place of blocks, a scarf or belt to use as a strap, and a rolled up towel or firm pillow to act as a bolster. If you can, keep your space set up. I promise, once you’ve gone to your special space at least 3 times to practice, you’ll cant help but want to return again when you see it.

When should I do yoga? What time of day is best?

Now, there are lots of opinions from different lineages of yoga about which time of the day is best. Ashtangis would tell you to practice for 2 hours before the sun rises. To be honest, any time of the day is a great time to do yoga. Whether you’d prefer some gentle movement and time alone to begin your busy day, an afternoon pick me up, or a wind down before bed, these are all great options. Sometimes, trying to create a strict schedule can make us feel tied down. Simply commit to the idea that you’re going to devote x amount of time to practice each day, and show up whenever it works for you. Remember, your practice can be as simple as 5 breaths in a forward fold.

I have a hard time sticking to a plan, what can I do?

One of the concepts that has changed my life is “5 seconds of courage”. This idea was coined by Mel Robbins in his book, The 5 Second Rule. Does the idea of doing the dishes make you want to groan? Once the thought to do something gets in your brain, act within 5 seconds. You can always stop. You can always quit. But in that 5 seconds, you could find magic. You can apply this same idea to not wanting to practice yoga. Show up for 5 minutes. If you are hating it, quit. It’s that simple. But you might find that in that 5 minutes, time becomes irrelevant and you’ll continue on with your practice. Our brain likes to talk us out of stuff…but the body is made to move. By abiding by the 5 second (or even 5 minute) rule, you might really surprise yourself and change your mindset. One of the Niyamas in the 8 Limbs of Yoga is Tapas. Tapas teach us discipline. Tapas teaches us that doing a contrary action can help us become our best selves. Keep in mind, it is a challenge for everyone to show up in order to be your best self. If it were easy, I wonder if “Wellness” would be billion dollar industry out here in the West…

A daily practice is a good way to build a skill set.

Want to learn how to feel more confident and strong in a yoga pose? Maybe you want to do arm balances like crow, or other inversions like the coveted handstand. Your goals will be achieved if you practice the components of those movements multiple times a week. Maybe your goal is to be able to meditate for 20 minutes. Well, 20 minutes seems like a hell of a long time if you haven’t built a tolerance to sit for 5! We don’t need lofty goals at first. Make it simple, make it easier for you. Take eating a burrito for example: the goal is that the whole burrito is in your belly. Well, it’s a lot easier to take a bite of a burrito instead of shoving the whole thing in your mouth at once!

You deserve a comforting ritual where you can love on yourself and become your own best friend.

By taking time to do something mindful, we create more peace within our busy brains. By taking time to deepen our breath and slow it down, we reduce our heart rate. We can combat the negative effects of cortisol (stress) by elongating our exhales. Imagine how much more self love you could have if you gave yourself 5 minutes a day to move your body or sit in meditation? You can have an accountabilibuddy, or you can keep it your own little secret. Whatever choices you make, those are yours and no one else’s.

I hope that this gives you a bit more inspiration to begin your own personal practice. You can always reach out to me if you have any questions, or would like help establish your own personal yoga sequence. I’m super happy to help!

Until next time friends, be well.

xo, kels