How to Start (and Keep) a Home Practice

I’ve been practicing yoga for over twenty years, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I began a daily at home yoga practice.

What changed and how did I maintain, what to this day is a daily practice at home?

Read on for takeaways on how you can start and keep a home yoga practice too.

Make it a Must

I was 5 months postpartum and had left my job to care for my newborn who needed special attention at that time. I didn’t have the resources to join a yoga studio and take public classes. By sheer necessity, if I was going to practice yoga, it was going to have to be at home. Game changer.

Tip: Give yourself a compelling reason, even if you have to make it up, to practice at home.

Leave Your Yoga Mat Out

When I started practicing at home, I didn’t have a dedicated space, but I did dedicate to leaving my mat out. I got some annoyed looks from my husband, but as the months wore on those glances softened into looks of admiration and inspiration as my commitment to practicing was evident. Making yoga part of your home life sometimes means convincing those that you share your home with that this IS life. Also, it’s easy to let obstacles—sometimes as simple as having to get your rolled-up mat out of the closet and unroll it—get in the way. If your mat is out, it will call you, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. And PS, after six months of having my mat in the dining room, my husband offered to turn our family room into a yoga room!

Tip: You don’t need a dedicated yoga space, but you do need to commit to leaving your yoga mat out.

Put your Yoga Clothes On

Having to change can be another obstacle, so get in front of it by putting yoga clothes on anytime you’re at home.  You never know when you’ll have even just a few minutes to do some yoga conditioning moves, stretch it out in cobblers pose, or go through some sun salutations. This even helped me when I left the house, I found myself at playgrounds with the kids doing the monkey bars and playing with handstand in the grassy area.

Tip: As soon as you come home, or if you stay-at-home, put on your best or most comfortable yoga clothes.

Let Go

Wouldn’t it be nice to have peace and quiet for 60 mins during your yoga practice? Depending on what your life circumstances look like, this may not be possible. A home practice doesn’t have to simulate a consecutive 60-minute studio class. Look for shorter yoga videos, or do gentle yoga in the mornings in bed before you wake up, conditioning stuff in an afternoon break, or a few standing postures.

Tip: Let go of preconceived ideas of needing to practice like you’re in the studio.

Stay Inspired

It’s easy to get comfortable doing the same thing, but then a strange thing sets in, boredom. The advantage to practicing at home is you have all kinds of yoga practices, styles, and types at your fingertips, literally. Find a new online yoga video platform and check out new teachers. Experiment with different styles, let yourself be inspired to keep your practice novel and growing. Check out platforms like Instagram with a strong yoga community and meet some like-minded yogis to hold you accountable.

Tip: Stay inspired by trying different yoga videos at home and then experiment on your own.

Looking for an affordable way to practice at home with some NJ yoga teachers? Check out Honor Yoga Now. Two-week free trial. Use code ‘NJYC’ for 50% off your first six months of subscription; only $5.49 a month!

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Cathy Madeo is an E-RYT 200/500 RYT yoga instructor. She is the Co-Owner of Honor Yoga Princeton and Co-Founder of Honor Yoga Now. Cathy has been a yoga practitioner for over 2 decades and began teaching yoga in Los Angeles in 2004. She’s known for making challenging poses accessible to all levels, her focus on core strength, and passion for changing “I can’t” into “I can” for her students. Cathy is a teacher’s teacher offering teacher trainings, advanced workshops and continuing-ed workshops throughout New Jersey. Follow her on Instagram @cathymadeoyoga or learn more at www.cathymadeo.com