An At-Home Yoga Practice

Photo Via

Finding an at-home yoga practice may be a great option for those with crazy schedules, as a cost- saving option, or if you want to supplement your regular studio practice. There are a few online resources where you can pay a small monthly subscription, and have access to hundreds of classes, and lots of different styles of yoga. I am currently using YogaGlo and am loving it!

YogaGlo is $18/month for unlimited classes, and they have many different styles of yoga, including pre/post natal, restorative, vinyasa, and even meditation. Classes run from 5-120 minutes, and are offered at different levels. You can choose a class based on endless criteria, such as a class for energizing, detox, cross training, or yoga at work.

To Create a Successful and Fulfilling At-Home Yoga Practice:

1.  Find a quiet space where you have enough room to spread your mat, and are free from clutter and distractions. You may need to move furniture aside...I learned my lesson with this one, and had a nice run-in with the couch while trying to manage a headstand.

2. Light candles and dim the lights so you can focus, and get the feeling of a studio.

3.  Don't allow yourself to stop your practice to answer your texts or finish the laundry, this is time for YOU!

4.  Try different classes and types of yoga that fit your mood, and your body's needs. If you don't want to pay for a service, there are YouTube videos you can find for no cost. 

5.  Take your practice to a level you are comfortable with. In a studio class, our ego often comes out in the form of competitiveness that causes us to push ourselves farther than is comfortable for our body.

An at-home practice may not be ideal for everyone, but may also be the only way to get in your practice. For a new mom, this could be a great option during the baby's nap time. It is a time to focus on YOU and get a re-charge so you can be more focused and present for your child throughout the day. For students, an at-home practice would be a productive study break, and yoga has been shown to increase attention and alertness.

I still enjoy the social aspects of a studio class with a live teacher, but for a few days out of the week, I have also found challenge and satisfaction in an at-home practice.