No-fail Tips to Develop a Home Practice

I’ve never been good at practicing at home. As an adolescent, my ballet teacher would chide me when I came into class unable to get into the full splits. (I’ve got short hamstrings all right?! And BTW now in my advanced age of the mid20s I can only WISH my splits were as close to the ground now as they were at 13).

Anyway…

“You need to practice more at home!” she would tell me, “You have to stretch every night.” And then she would give me all sorts of helpful tips to lengthen out the backs of my legs. I would nod my head, fully intending to follow through with every word she said.  But…then I would get home and my mind would start to negotiate with me.

“I spend 15 hours a week practicing ballet at the studio!” I would eventually agree, “I don’t need to do more.”

 But we spent those 15 hours on ballet technique, and the simple stretching we did before class, wasn’t enough to get me into the splits.

As an adult yogi, I face the very same problem. I don’t know why I refuse to practice at home. I know it is good for me, and yet, and yet, starting is just so hard. I would rather vacuum under my bed, reorganize my cupboards, and possibly clean the toilet. When we do a new or challenging asana in the studio, I think, 

“Ok, this is something I should play with at home.” 

But then I get home, and I decide that there will surely be serious consequences if I don’t do my laundry immediately.

    

I admit it: self-motivation is not my strong point. That doesn’t mean it can’t become my strong point! (that last sentence spoken with all the earnest sincerity of a fresh faced yoga teacher recently returned from a journey down the self-help aisle).

I think these 2 ideas are the key to starting a regular home practice:       

1. Start small: You wake up and take three intentional breaths. BAM!  Yoga (This will, no doubt, grow to a one hour meditation habit eventually)
2.   Cheat: that’s right, put yoga into the activities you already do. I think it is totally legitimate to practice yoga when you tie your shoe. I mean, utanasana, hello! If you want to get really fancy, try lacing up in parsvattonasana. BAM! Yoga

That’s it really! Even I can handle that much.

If you’re reading this you, yes you, are awesome (even if you don’t have a home practice).

Hugs and Namastes!