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So, you’ve been going to your yoga class for a while now and someone suggests that it’s time to take it to the next level and start a home practice. Your teacher may mention it; perhaps a fellow student or, possibly even, it may come from a little voice within you. For some students this will be after six months or less, for others – more than a year. It happens when it happens, and here are some reasons why you should start and how.

1.   You know more than you think

There is something very comforting and reassuring about following instructions. It makes us feel safe and allows us the rare opportunity to switch off our brains. We are free to really follow our breath and let the teacher worry about any adjustments. The suggestion of doing this at home, of being our own Yoga teacher, fills many people with fear and questions: what will I do? How will I know if it’s right? What if nothing comes to mind?

Relax. If you have been practising a few times a week for at least a few months, you will be amazed at how many postures you know (even if you can’t remember what they’re called). Unroll your mat. Sit or lie down and do a few minutes of deep breathing. Then see what comes into your mind.

2.   You are your best teacher

Have you ever been in class when a teacher says that you should be feeling this or that? Or he or she is telling you that you should be experiencing something in a particular posture that you aren’t? This is your yoga practice and you come to it with a unique set of experiences and body “issues”, for want of a better expression. What works for others may not work for you. And what enhances your mental and physical state may not work for others. You may not believe it, but you are your best teacher. Only you know what feels right and what causes internal discomfort or pain.

3.   Tailor your practice to your needs

Starting a home practice allows you to give your body and mind what it needs on a particular day, at a particular time. Get on your mat.

Close your eyes. Connect with your breath and do what you feel.

Your first home practice may consist of a long Sivasana, and not much else. Who cares? It’s a start. If your back is sore, for example, you can focus on releasing your sacrum, working through your shoulders and so on. It’s your practice, remember that.

4.   Practise whenever, wherever

An obvious advantage is that when you get comfortable with a home practice, you can do it whenever, wherever. If you’re having a busy day, there are no class schedules to fit in with; all you need is your breath and (sometimes, but not always) your mat.

5. It’s not about perfection; it’s yoga practice, not yoga perfect

Remember it’s about self-exploration and what feels right for you. It is not about perfect shapes (whatever they are). Safe alignment is something different, which is why it’s good to have a fairly solid guided class practice under your belt before you begin. In any event, you will be surprised at how quickly your confidence grows and you are able to tap into your intuition. So dive in, and don’t forget to have fun too!

 

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