• 8 Limbs of Yoga
  • Yoga Themes
    • Ahimsa
    • Abundance
    • Authenticity
    • Balance
    • Contentment
    • Courage
    • Discipline
    • Find Your Passion
    • Forgiveness
    • Gratitude
    • Guru
    • Intention
    • Om
    • Service
    • Shadow Work
    • Simplicity
    • Sthira & Sukha: Steadiness & Ease
    • Truth
    • Understanding Samskaras
  • Yoga Chat
  • About
  • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Share Yoga

You are here: Home / yoga / 3 Steps to Creating a Home Practice

3 Steps to Creating a Home Practice

in yoga on 11/15/15

Meditation Space at HomeIn October of 2014, I attended a workshop that focused on developing a sustainable home yoga practice. There where students ranging from 19-67 years of age and we all created a semi-circle around our teacher. We listened intently for the secret of creating a vigorous, engaging yoga practice that would keep us busy for a lifetime. To my disappointment, there was no secret, no awe-inspiring idea which propelled me into a state of bliss. The information that followed was as analytical as a yogi could get. She said, “There are three steps to creating a home practice, step one, find a place, step two, find a time and step three, decide what to practice.”

As she spoke I frantically wrote down the steps attempting to capture the wisdom in each word. The lesson continued to offer helpful insights on overcoming roadblocks, how to develop the commitment to bring this lesson to fruition and how to reap the benefits in my own life. “Okay,” I thought, “Find a place…”

Step 1: Find a place. Step 2: Find a time. Step 3: Decide what to practice.

Click To Tweet

Step One: Find a place

This could be a place in your home, gym, or work. You may find it helpful to put inspiring objects in your space such as pictures, figures, or books.

At home

If your space is limited, lay your mat beside your bed. You can store it underneath your bed when not practicing then it will be easily accessible morning, noon, or night.

If you have a guest bedroom or office, dedicate the area (when not in use) to your yoga practice.

At the gym

Rent a locker and store your yoga mat inside. This is a great practice for applying yoga to real life situations because of the distractions that exist in public places. What a great way to challenge your ability to stay in your body and in the moment!

Yoga at the gym: Challenge your ability to stay in your body & in the moment!

Click To Tweet

At work

This may not be reasonable for some, but for people with offices or other spaces that can be closed off to others, this can be an excellent option.

Store your mat in a coat closet or under the desk. During lunch, before or after work, shut the door (lock it if you must) turn off the fluorescent lights, turn on a desk lamp and start your practice.

Step Two: Find a time

In my opinion, this is the most challenging of the three steps. In our busy day-to-day lives, finding the time to practice is difficult, but one minute is all you need. If you make the commitment to practice for one minute a day, you will feel the benefits of yoga. This could be standing in Wide Legged Forward Fold for a minute, Child’s Pose for 8 breath cycles, or even a Warrior II while you’re waiting for your morning cup of coffee.

Practice Warrior II while you’re waiting for your morning cup of coffee.

Click To Tweet

A mistake I can often make is thinking that my yoga practice has to or should take 30-40 minutes when in reality I have felt the benefits of a 3 minute session (which consisted of a Downward Facing Dog in the driveway while I waited for my niece to wake up from a nap). That being said, you may start with one minute and then find yourself building up to 10, 15, or 20. Just make the commitment to get on your mat each day. Once you are on your mat, set a timer (I use an app called Insight timer) and when your minute or 10 minutes is up, notice how the practice has changed your mental or physical self. Do you feel more relaxed, in tune, nourished? The important thing is giving time to yourself, wholly in mind, body, and spirit.

Step Three: Decide what to practice

Some basic rules include keeping it simple and remembering to breath. Using a timer can be helpful, but listen to your body. As a woman from Park City, Utah, once told me, “Don’t read the clock, read your energy level.”

Don’t read the clock! Read your energy level.

Click To Tweet

Below are links to foundational poses which can be built upon when you become more comfortable in your own practice.

Reclined Big Toe Pose

Downward Facing Dog

Standing Forward Fold

Child’s Pose

Low Lunge

Tree Pose

Putting it all together

When starting out it helped me greatly to follow a regimen. A yoga instructor, Cathie Caccia, told me how she started in her own daily practice; this has gotten me onto the mat every day for almost a year.

Set your timer for 14 minutes and practice the following poses:

2 minutes Downward Facing Dog

2 minutes Standing Forward Fold

8 minutes Sun Salutations

2 minutes Savasana

What I love about this sequence is having the flexibility to change any part of it depending on how my mind and body are feeling in the moment. Some mornings, I may start with two minutes of Reclined Big Toe Pose or Child’s Pose followed by Warrior III and Tree Pose.  Then I will treat myself to 12 minutes of Savasana at the end; this is one of the many reasons I get on the mat each morning.

Flexibility: Change any part depending on how your mind & body are feeling in the moment.

Click To Tweet

The evening following the workshop I went home and ambitiously cleared a space to permanently put my yoga mat. Step one, find a place, check! Step two, find a time, “I’ll practice right when I wake up” I told myself, check! Step three, Cathie’s 14 minute regimen, check!

During the past eleven months my home practice has grown to become an enriching, ever changing addition to my life. It has created space for me to reflect more fully on the miraculous, interconnected world in which we live.

I hope this helps you in creating your own home practice or re-invigorates you to continue. May you live with ease and joy.

 

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Caitlin Renz
Caitlin Renz
Author Caitlin Renz is an educator, yoga instructor, and writer of the blog Good Vibes Idaho. Her life goal is to inspire others to take risks, believe in, and ultimately become their best selves. It is her desire to encourage and support your journey to living well.
Caitlin Renz
Latest posts by Caitlin Renz (see all)
  • A Deeper Look at the 8 Limbs of Yoga - April 13, 2017
  • Spring Detox: Daily Routines to Optimize Health - April 5, 2017
  • Your Future Self: Setting Intentions - January 1, 2017
« Teaching Compassion for Yoga Teachers: Stage One
Compassion by Example: My Personal Story of Healing »

Yoga Inspiration

The Guru Within: The Turtle Power of Self-Trust

Yoga, An Inner Guru and You

Get Your Hands Dirty! – A Yogi’s Take on Selfless Service

Why You’re Not Practicing Yoga Consistently (And What You Can Do About It)

How a Yoga Practice Can Take Your Health Up a Notch

Samskaras, emotional eating & choosing your destiny

On the Daily: Creating Space for your Yoga and Meditation Everyday

The Dark Side of the Yoga Mat

Yoga for back and joint pain, and a few food quips

Finding your way hOMe

Recent Posts

  • Origin of the Asanas
  • Why I don’t take my yoga hot and sweaty
  • 10 Proven Ways to Boost Your Happiness
  • A Deeper Look at the 8 Limbs of Yoga
  • Spring Detox: Daily Routines to Optimize Health

Share Yoga Contributors

Jill Paschal
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for
avatar for

Yoga Resources

Share Yoga Book Club: Now Reading
Yoga Resources We Like: Kirtans, Websites, Events & More
Yoga Teachers We Like
Ayurveda Resources We Like
Yoga Books We Like
Body Workers We Like

Recent Comments

  • Darla Brown on Your Future Self: Setting Intentions
  • Darla Brown on Om: A Poem about Mindfulness
  • Natalia Robb on Om: A Poem about Mindfulness
  • Caitlin on Om: A Poem about Mindfulness
  • Heather-Joan Warner on Om: A Poem about Mindfulness

Instagram

shareyoga

Share the Om. #wellbeing #yoga #meditation #shareyoga

Share Yoga
A human being is part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole [of] nature in its beauty” — Albert Einstein, 1950  See  https://www.shareyoga.com/meditation/spirit/are-you-practicing-the-law-of-love/ #yoga #compassion #love #alberteinstein #consciousness
Been there! #Repost @arrowheartyoga with @get_rep Been there! 
#Repost @arrowheartyoga with @get_repost
・・・
❤️💛💚💙💜💘🌱
#peace #love #yoga #arrowheartyoga #arrowheartfamily #ojaivalley #ojai #practice #meditation #stretch #strengthen
The only relevant yoga is “your yoga”. #sharey The only relevant yoga is “your yoga”. #shareyoga #yoga #sharetheom
❄️ Happy Winter Solstice ❄️ #wintersolstic ❄️ Happy Winter Solstice ❄️ #wintersolstice #shareyoga #sharetheom
Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.⠀
~Rumi⠀
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~⠀
#summerofyoga⠀
#throatchakra⠀
#shareyoga⠀
#yogalove⠀
#yogalife ⠀
#yogachallenge⠀
⠀
⠀
⠀
http://buff.ly/2tpRnWJ
Do practice while you can. You'll need it when you Do practice while you can. You'll need it when you can't. ~Krishna Das⠀
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~⠀
#summerofyoga⠀
#shareyoga⠀
#yogalove⠀
#yogalife ⠀
#yogachallenge⠀
#yoga⠀
#krishnadas⠀
⠀
⠀
http://buff.ly/2t1Tehc
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Popular Posts

Origin of the Asanas

Why I don’t take my yoga hot and sweaty

Boost Your Happiness

10 Proven Ways to Boost Your Happiness

Copyright © 2021 ShareYoga - Share the om