How to start doing yoga at home

Ready to start doing yoga at home? Maybe you’ve never tried yoga before or only taken public classes. Here are some tips to get you going on your own.

1.      Clear a space.

You will need at least a mat’s amount of level and cleared space but try to allow for some extra clearance around each side. Extra room will allow your body (particularly your arms) to move freely. While studios often have wood floors, it doesn’t matter what kind of flooring you practice on. That being said, tile is one of my least favorite surfaces because of the grout. It is inherently a little uneven and can affect your balance.

2.     Gather some props.

You can practice yoga without any props. The key is to be safe. A yoga or sticky mat will help provide some cushion and traction to limit slipping. However, if you don’t have a mat, you can practice on an area rug or a towel. Either way, you will likely need additional padding for your knees, so an extra towel or blanket will help. Other supporting props include bolsters (easily replaced by pillows or cushions), straps (replaced by belts—bathrobe belts are great), and blocks (often replaced with pillows or books). These aren’t mandatory though they are effective at helping you access certain poses.

3.     Set aside some time.

This is often the most challenging part, especially if you have children. You can practice with kids and other household distractions around—life happens—but the more time you can dedicate to yourself, the more opportunity you will have to notice your body. Start with 10 minutes and slowly build up to longer spans of time—just do what you can and don’t feel bad about it. It can be frustrating to get pulled away by a kid, partner, pet, or other needs after five minutes, but take that experience as part of the practice: You got in a few moments but needed to move on. Come back when you can.

4.     Pick a practice.

Courtesy of Yoga With Adriene

Decide what you plan to practice. Determine what you want to get out of the practice that day and find a recorded class or make a plan. Videos—which you can find free on YouTube—are a great way to get started. Yoga with Adriene is my favorite. She is welcoming and offers an accessible yoga practice for all levels. You can also look at your local studios to see if they offer digital classes. Typically, these classes are conducted through Zoom and could be free, donation-based, or cost up to $20.

Alternatively, if you have been practicing for a while and want to guide your own session, consider the time you have and the poses or parts of the body you want to work on and begin to build a sequence. Make sure to warm up your body, particularly the areas that will be stretched or strengthened by the poses you select. I find that including a couple of my favorite poses every practice keeps me coming back every day, instead of just pushing myself through the ones that are only challenging.

5.     Listen to your body.

When you are at home you have the unique opportunity to really listen to your body, without as many external guidelines or comparisons. In a studio you more often compare yourself to others or move out of a pose before you want to because the class is moving on. When you are in the privacy of your home you have the freedom to play, stay in a pose longer, or experiment. Still, you really need to listen to your body and watch for warning signs and your end range. If something becomes painful or pinchy, back off and reduce the intensity of the pose or just come out of it. Transitions between poses are common times to get injured so stay present and aware of how you get in and out of poses.

6.     Don’t forget to breathe and rest.

Pranayama is a breath practice and one of the eight limbs of yoga—poses (asanas) being another. It is useful for calming the mind and improving mindfulness and lung capacity, something you might expect from a breath practice. Meditation and savasana (final resting pose) are also very important components of practicing yoga, letting your body and mind rest. Try not to forget these components when you are practicing at home.

7.      Hop on your mat and get started.

Just get started. It can be a couple minutes a day but try to make it a regular practice. Returning to the mat will help you find more and more of yoga’s benefits. The key to making it back on the mat is allowing yourself to have fun and giving up on a “perfect” experience. Yes, you might be interrupted by a barking dog or a screaming toddler. Just take a few minutes to breathe and move and then try again tomorrow. See where it will take you.