In contemporary environment, it is important to make an effort to find peaceful meditation and mindfulness in the middle of all the rush and madness. The yoga system not only provides a physical remedy but it also transcends the level of the mind, body, and spirit. It merges the physical exercise with mental relaxation and spiritual growth. Though all the yoga classes at the studio is the best way to get on with the yoga journey, however, the individualized approach of yoga practice at home attracts several yogis and yoginis to pick up as a preferred approach due to its flexibility and convenience. If you are beginner to yoga and seeking how to start yoga at home, then follow this comprehensive guide below.
1. Understanding the Basics of Yoga:
If you want to understand how to start yoga at home, it is essential that you have a grasp on the total picture of yoga, about the various styles of yoga for beginners and benefits. Besides, yoga is an all-embracing discipline. It involves postural exercises that could be simple stretching and relaxing, or dynamic and physically demanding practices. Having an idea of the various styles of yoga, you get a chance to choose the one that best fulfills your objective and suits your taste and preferences. Here's a brief overview of some popular styles of yoga:
Hatha Yoga: A style which is gentle, slow-paced yet strong and beginner-friendly at the same time, this is a style that teaches the main poses and breathing techniques to the first-time learners. Hatha yoga is the ideal beginner yoga style who wish to prepare their mind, body, and spirit to enter into deeper levels of the art.
Vinyasa Yoga: The style that is characterized by the series of tranquil flowing poses that were in-sync with the breath movement. Vinyasa yoga is the ideal choice who like challenging and smooth movement practice sessions.
Ashtanga Yoga: A strong style that have set pose sequence and the aim is to build muscles, at the same time teach proper and coordinated breath control.
Iyengar Yoga: A spot-on yoga style that does not only includes adjustments but also uses props such as blocks, straps, and bolsters to support the body through poses. This kind of yoga is especially valid for the newcomers who want to put emphasis primarily on correct posture and technique.
Restorative Yoga: This style offers a calming approach to yoga with the purpose to restore the mind, body, and inner being. It makes use of yoga props to allow the practitioners sink deeply into the pose and find in-depth relief from stress knots in the body.
2. Setting Up Your Home Yoga Space:
Allocating a space in your home for yogo practice helps you to continue a productive and self-reliant path. Here are some tips for setting up your home yoga space:
Choose a Quiet, Clutter-Free Area: Make sure you have some private, quiet space at home to practice yoga without being interrupted. Free the place where you will do your practice from everything unnecessary starting with keeping it spacious and welcoming.
Use Props as Needed: Depending on the style of yoga you prefer, you might find yoga mats, blocks, straps, bolsters and blankets to support your practice to a more comforting level. These props also help you change the positions of any posture that otherwise can be a tad difficult to move into without the support of a yoga instructor.
Set the Mood: Yoga has a powerful ability to restore our strength. Create a tranquil environment by burning incense, or candle, or listening to soft music. Plants or ornamentations that your heart finds relaxation or tranquility in..
3. Finding Online Yoga Classes:
If you're a beginner to yoga or enjoy having someone leading you through your yoga practice, there are many different online yoga classes you can turn to nowadays in order to help you establish a home yoga practice. There is a real abundance of online yoga videos that you can play or download for a session on your own. Here are some popular platforms for online yoga classes:
Online Yoga Class from Prashant Jakhmola: Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and holistic wellness with Prashant Jakhmola's online yoga classes. Whether you're a seasoned yogi or just beginning your yoga practice, Prashant's classes offer a perfect blend of traditional techniques and modern approaches to yoga. With his clear instructions and soothing demeanor, Prashant creates a welcoming environment for students to explore various yoga postures, breathing exercises, and mindfulness practices from the comfort of their homes. His expertise in Hatha and Vinyasa yoga ensures a balanced and invigorating session that rejuvenates both body and mind. Join Prashant Jakhmola's online yoga class today and experience the benefits of yoga firsthand.
YouTube: Plenty of free yoga videos on YouTube are there, the beginners' lessons can be accessed without any problem while the advanced trainings could even be hard to perform. Pick a yoga channel/instructor with a good reputation and have a look at the content they provide.
Yoga Apps: The array of yoga app options nowadays allows choosing from the guided path in-class instruction, set plans customized for practice and acquisition of progress records. The most well-known yoga apps are YouTune, Ringo, and Glo.
Online Yoga Platforms: As always, numerous yoga studios and teachers give their clients an opportunity to have a subscription to online platforms, where you can choose among various classes and workshops and other relevant material. They frequently come with differing designs and difficulty levels to satisfy your requirements.
4. Maintaining Consistency in Your Practice:
The secret element to success in personal yoga practice is uniformity. Here are some tips for maintaining consistency in your practice:
Set Realistic Goals: Crank-up your practice with small and easy goals and with a passing of time ensure an increase in duration and intensity of the practice. Whether you adopt a daily yoga habit for a 10 minutes practice or a hour a week, consistency plays a greater role than how much you practice.
Schedule Your Practice: Bring your yoga session to the next level by treating it like any other meeting and combining into your daily schedule. Whether you prefer to develop your skills in setting the alarm clock near by, during break, or before going to bed, schedule a consistent time for you and be disciplined.
Stay Accountable: Either you can go with a friend who is ready to accompany you or you can be a part of online community that can help in your motivational needs during the practice. Feedback and a chance to share your goals, progress, and challenges with others is what you need in order to support and to celebrate each other.
Be Flexible: Life has its own unpredictable nature, and there can be days when you are too tired or you have a lot on your plate. Better to stop beating yourself up about breaking the exercise routine. Be adaptive and choose a practice accordingly to your circumstances. A little, just a minimum of 10 minutes of your time, can be devoted to the practice of pranayama yoga, even this small amount can reinstate positive emotions in you.
5. Prepping Up for a Home Yoga Session:
Firstly, it is necessary to bring your body, mind and place into a yogic state before undertaking your home yoga practice. Here's a checklist of things to do to for a home yoga session prep-up.
Hydrate: Take frequent drinks of water every day to remain well hydrated and to have a charged-up practice.
Eat Light: One question that we are all concerned how to start yoga home while following a regular diet routine? The trick is eat your dinner well good time before your yoga class so that you will feel as light and consistent. Rather than loading up on a heavy meal 1-2 hours before class, try a light snack or a salad meal.
Dress Comfortably: Choose light, soft fabrics which won’t restrain any movement and will let you feel comfortable for each pose you do.
Gather Props: Get whatever props you might be using during practice together, whether it’s a mat, blocks, straps, bolsters or blankets. Mount them either above or around it so that they would be always visible throughout all your practice routine.
Set Intentions: Give yourself a moment to intuisivly try to set the goals of your practice, it may be strength, flexibility, mindfulness, non-duality on any level.
Warm-Up: Kicking off your routine with a set of gentle warm-up exercises will help your body to better tolerate the more advanced poses. Working in on dynamic motions as well as stretching, including most muscles.
Breathe: Consciously breathe, bringing up large lung air as deep as possible by strong inhalation through your nose and exhale entirely through mouth. Emphasize using your breathing as your cue, inhaling as you move into a pose and exhaling as you move out of that pose to a sense of rhythm and calmness.
Listen to Your Body: Bring your attention to how it feels in your body, according to your practice, and be true to your own limits. If a session baffles or causes pain in your practice, find alternatives that are more comfortable and can be done without much adjusting. This is to say that yoga is a practice in which you learn to neither over-exert your body nor make attempts to the contrary of what you expect.
Cool Down: Bring your practice to a finish with a light cool-down to wipe off any stress left in your body and mind. Give much importance to slowing down the breathing and practicing pleasant postures that bring ease among the practicer and revives them.
6. Sample Set of Yoga Poses for Beginners
Not sure how to start yoga at home when you are not aware of the yoga poses and routine to begin with? Do not worry and continue to read further.
With a view to assist you to commence your home yoga practice, here is a set of poses that are amazing for beginners to begin with. Strive to listen to your bodily functions and adapt poses when needed, to meet the demands of your body and abilities. Be sure to consult with an understanding yoga instructor or other healthcare professional if you have any health concerns or conditions that may hinder your practice.
Warm-Up:
Child's Pose (Balasana): Begin on all fours and then move to reach your heels with your arms stretched out horizontally or at your sides. Close the eyes and take calm deep breaths.
Standing Poses:
Mountain Pose (Tadasana): Plant your feet shoulder width apart, with your arms positioned by your sides, and raise your head to keep a line of sight. Your core and feet play the roles of the main fulcrum of your body – squeeze them to create the maximum yield of quick and effective rotations.
Forward Fold (Uttanasana): Exhale and hinge forward at the hips. Try to let your hands reach the floor or touch the shins or thighs. Try and keep your back straight while you do this pose.
Seated Poses:
Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana): Sit on the floor with your legs out in a straight line on the ground. Do long inhalation bending your spine upward and long exhalation constricting your body forward from your hips reaching for your feet or ankles. Maintain the natural curve of your spine and your neck in alignment with your head.
Supine Poses:
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana): Lie down on your back with legs bent in the air and distance between legs being equal to hips' width. Dig into your feet as you lift the hips upwards towards the sky, creating a bull shape. Put your hands behind your back, interlace your fingers and fathom the mat to canvass your hands.
Cool Down:
Corpse Pose (Savasana): Lying on your back, stretch your body outwards with your palms facing the sky. Stretch your limbs and your entire body, inhaling slowly, and exhaling as you slowly glide onto the mat. Bend your knees in such a manner that you put your utmost attention to your breathing pattern and continue to mediate.
A home yoga practice can build you from the inside out, giving you body-mind peace. You will be your own architect, determined to the journey and at the same time, free enough to stay on the path that you've chosen. Starting with just a few postures can be a quick way for you to start your path of self-exploration and transformation through the path of yoga. Therefore, start your practice by taking your mat with you.
Namaste