Virtual yoga is picking up with yoga having gained immense popularity in recent times and why not? Yoga is a holistic science that originated in India over 5000 years ago.
Beside a physical workout yoga promotes and supports an overall well-being and enhanced quality of life. Be it digestive issues, cardiovascular health, diabetes, stress, anxiety, sleep issues and emotional problems, yoga can help you and I am sure this reason enough to make yoga part of your everyday.
Have you ever thought about getting into yoga but never found the right time? Well, the time is here and now. Yoga at home is simple, hassle-free and super comfortable. The benefits of yoga are immense and extend beyond the physical health of an individual. Several studies have shown that yoga as a practice has a calming and relaxing impact on the mind and emotional body too.
To put it very simply every yoga session will leave your joints and muscles feeling stretched, strengthened, and relaxed. Internally yoga brings about stimulation and improves the functioning of the organs and glands resulting in a more rebalanced and re-energized you.
Yoga is so much more than just exercise, and what is great is that it is for anyone and everyone. Yes, you could be lean, overweight, young, old even a child, there is a yoga style for all your needs. If you were ever conscious that maybe you couldn’t get into the complex poses, that’s another reason yoga at home is such a great thing. Yoga always encourages you to do what you can, listen to your body and go with the flow. It is not about achieving everything in one day and so now all you need to do is sign up for your very own class at home.
Why Yoga At Home?
Well for one we are in lockdown so getting out and into a class may be challenging but if we take a closer look there are quite a few benefits to doing yoga at home. While our lives before the pandemic have always been a rush, it saves time and you won’t have to worry about being late anymore. Home yoga gives you the opportunity to choose a time that suits you not the other way around. How many times have you found a class that you loved but were disappointed because the timings of the class or location did not match your schedule? You can also travel light, many of us carry our yoga essentials to work and back every day because we go to a class before or after work hours to save time. No more little things put you off, truly enjoy the pure joy of yoga.
What Will You Need?
Here are a few things to keep in mind before you begin.
Choosing Your Space: So, here’s the thing about yoga at home the space you choose to do yoga in is your own. Great if you have an outdoor area, or an extra room but practically anywhere in your home that allows you to roll out a mat and stretch and spread your arms without anything getting in your way, will work. If you have the space and want to create a special yoga area you can do that as well. Let it be somewhere quiet and peaceful, and for some, you may only be able to enjoy that peace and calm at certain times in the day, then choose your practice time accordingly. One thing you can try and aim for when choosing your space is a free wall because it can serve as support in some postures. But other than that, choose a spot that is comfortable for you to practice and you are good to go.
Yoga Mat & Other Accessories: Getting hold of a yoga mat is no big task, but you may want to invest in a good quality mat, so it lasts you longer. Also, make sure it is anti-skid. A long rug or carpet can also serve as your yoga mat. Then there are things like yoga blocks, belts, bolsters etc. These are non-essentials unless you are an advanced or intermediate practitioner. Books can serve as blocks and cushions or home bolsters can be used as well.
Choosing Your Yoga Routine: For anyone who has never been to a yoga class before or has not been to regular classes, please get a personal yoga trainer for at least a couple of weeks. And you can do this online too, just that you will need guidance and it is best to get trained before attempting it on your own. Secondly, you can sign up for an online class and this is where you can get creative. There are so many different styles of yoga – Hatha, Ashtanga, Vinyasa flow, Yin, Restorative, Therapeutic, Pre-natal, Facial, Dance yoga, etc. Do some research and find classes that you can connect with and teachers whose flow meets yours.
For me the most important thing when doing yoga is listening to my body, some days you might want an intense class on others more of a stretch and relaxation. Remember yoga is amazing because of its overall positive impact both on the body and mind and you can achieve this by being mindful, so do as much as you can. Do not push your body, if you feel pain or discomfort do not do that pose. Coming out of a pose is as important as getting into it so pay attention to the instructions and in this way avoid the risk of injury.
Lastly, it is very important to inform your instructor or the class of any existing injury or illness, so you can maximize benefit and reduce injury.
Staying Committed To Your Practice At Home
While it’s great to do yoga on your own terms, being outside the disciplines of a class means you have only yourself that you are accountable. And this is easy to manipulate, so you need to do a bit of planning and be totally dedicated to your practice.
Choose your practice time wisely: Select a time that you will be able to stick to because only you know your daily schedule best. For this to work, you have to be honest with yourself and don’t choose a time that can easily be hijacked by ‘more important things.’ It is usually good to get your practice done in the morning and in this way it is out of the way and you are less likely to make excuses like I’m too tired or I have a thing come up. Discipline and commitment is key to a successful and continued yoga at home practice.
The duration of your practice: Be practical and save a slot you can manage to keep. You can do 20 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour whatever fits into your day, and you will still be benefited and feel great. One thing is we need to manage our expectations, because sometimes that can be the reason we fail, so be realistic.
Another great way to staying committed is have a family member or roommate join in and in this way you can both motivate each other and pull each other up on a not so good day.
Time to roll out your mat and experience the immense transformation of your physical & emotional self through the practice of yoga, pranayama & meditation.
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