How To Practice Yoga at Home?

A regular yoga practice can dramatically reduce aches and pains, improve balance and flexibility, enhance fitness, relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety, reduce stress, help you sleep better and, in general, improve your overall quality of life.

If you've been thinking about starting a yoga practice but feel too intimidated, don't be: yoga is for everyone. Whether you're tall or short, young or older, flexible or not, you can do yoga - and you can do it in the comfort of your own home. If you'd like to know how to practice yoga at home, here are some tips to get you started. 👇

GET COMFORTABLE

If you have an extra room you can dedicate exclusively to your yoga practice, that's great! Having your yoga mat unrolled and within reach at all times is certainly an invitation to practice.

Most of us, however, don't have the opportunity to dedicate an entire room to our yoga practice. So try to find a peaceful, quiet place, with as much space as possible around you. A corner with an empty wall can also be useful, as the wall is an excellent support. If you wish, you can create a pleasant atmosphere by lighting a candle or a stick of incense.

Of course, candles and incense are not compulsory, and are by no means necessary for practicing yoga. You can practice yoga anywhere, as long as you have enough space around you to avoid bumping into tables, chairs, etc.

WEAR COMFORTABLE YOGA CLOTHES

Wearing breathable, stretchy yoga clothes is essential to practicing yoga comfortably. In fact, it's best to avoid uncomfortable materials distracting you from your breathing and asanas. So wear yoga pants or yoga leggings that you feel comfortable in and that you like. For the top, choose one that won't ride up during your inversions.

HAVE YOGA ACCESSORIES AT HAND

The most essential accessory for practicing yoga at home is a yoga mat, preferably non-slip. There are many types of mat on the market, and we recommend investing in a good-quality yoga mat that meets your needs and will last a long time. Yoga bricks are an excellent way of improving your practice, but they can be replaced by books, for example. It's also good to have a bolster, but in the same way as with yoga blocks, you can replace them with a pile of pillows or blankets.

AVOID INJURY

This is non-negotiable advice. Always watch your limits and pay particular attention to vulnerable areas of your body. Particularly vulnerable areas are the knees, hips, spine and neck. If you feel pain, adjust your posture or get out of it. Don't force things, as you could injure yourself and be unable to practice yoga for several days, or even weeks.

Warm up your body properly before attempting more advanced postures, and check regularly whether you feel comfortable in a posture. Pay particular attention to transitions between asanas or when entering or leaving a posture - these are moments of potential injury risk, as we tend to pay less attention to our alignment.

LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR BODY NEEDS

What are you going to do when you get on your mat? The first question to ask yourself is... "What do my body and mind need today?"

Do you need a dynamic practice like Vinyasa, or something gentler and more restorative like Yin yoga to calm your body and mind? The more you practice yoga, the more you'll understand the effects of different practices, and the more you'll learn to recognize what your body and mind need at different times.

TAKE YOGA CLASSES ON YOUTUBE OR VIA AN APP

If you're just starting out in yoga, or if you simply want to have a practice at home in addition to studio classes, don't hesitate to take yoga classes online. There are many platforms where you can take classes from experienced, world-renowned yoga teachers. As far as Youtube is concerned, we can only recommend the Yoga with Adriene channel, where she offers a wide range of classes for all levels, all needs and all durations.

As for apps, there are several to choose from: try moviing.co or Pocket Yoga.

PRACTICE YOGA REGULARLY

"If you practice yoga once a week, it will change your mind. If you practice yoga twice a week, it will change your body. If you practice yoga every day, it will change your life."

Practicing yoga even once a week is beneficial in itself. Three times a week is good, but every day is even better. If achieving your goals is very important to you, it's better to set yourself the goal of practising three times a week, achieving it and feeling proud of yourself, rather than setting yourself the goal of practising every day and feeling bad if you only do it three times a week. A feeling of failure usually only makes you feel guilty and demotivated. So be honest with yourself, set realistic goals and do your best to achieve them. Don't be hard on yourself. A 10-minute yoga practice a day is still a practice that really counts.

END YOUR SESSION WITH SAVASANA

After a yoga session, it's important to give your body time to relax in the Savasana posture (lying on your back, arms at your sides, palms facing the ceiling). The nervous system needs time to assimilate the benefits it has acquired during a yoga class. If you don't, you risk feeling unnecessarily tense, especially after an intense yoga class.

FINAL TIP FOR THE ROAD: ENJOY YOUR PRACTICE

Don't overdo it; if you don't enjoy your yoga practice, you'll never keep it. It has to be something you look forward to doing. Maybe try a different style of yoga or a different teacher if you feel like yoga is becoming a chore.

Namaste 🙏