Attending two to three yoga classes per week gives tremendous mental and physical benefits. Consolidating what you have learned in class with a home practice can be life-changing. With the pace of modern life, it can be difficult to start and maintain a home practice. The following tips can help make your dreams of practicing yoga at home a reality. These tips focus on making it as easy as possible for you to get underway.

Tip 1: Designate a space for your practice
Keep a space cleared for your practice so you do not need to move furniture or think about where you are going to practice. It does not need to be a large expansive space, simply somewhere you can roll out a mat. Think about having a wall space if inversions are part of your practice. If you live with other people consider where they will be while you are practicing.

Tip 2: Have your props and yoga clothes ready
Keep your mat and any other props (e.g., bolster and bricks) near your designated space. This removes the barrier of finding what you need when it comes to practice. You might consider having your mat laid out permanently. If you are going to practice in the morning, then put your yoga clothes out the night before so you can get up, get dressed and start practicing straightaway.

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My first bout of sciatica 10 years ago floored me. It felt like a knife had been plunged into my right buttock and dragged down my leg. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t walk without a stick and I certainly could not think about anything else. Packets of anti-inflammatories, ice and Panadeine forte turned the dagger into a butter knife, but I was still aware of it. It turned out that a tight piriformis muscle that was entrapping the sciatic nerve in the buttock was to blame. The direct pressure of sitting on a golf ball gave great relief by releasing the piriformis muscle but I needed some preventive strategies. This is where yoga came in.

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With so many classes on offer at Unfold Yoga + Wellbeing, it can be difficult for students to decide which they should attend. Really, the best class is the one you can commit to attending regularly! The physical and mental benefits of yoga are heightened with consistent practice. Explore the timetable and think carefully about your schedule. Consider the early morning classes before the day gets underway, the mid-morning classes for a later start, the afternoon classes that will keep your evening free or the evening classes to unwind before bedtime.

Once you have considered your schedule, read through the class descriptions which indicate the focus of the class. All teachers at Unfold tailor the class to the students in attendance. Alternatives are offered to suit individual needs. Let your teacher know at the start of the class if you have any injuries or conditions, if you feel fatigued or if you are menstruating as modifications can be made. Options are offered to suit students with less experience and challenge can be added for more advanced students.

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I find the breath fascinating. I find it fascinating that our bodies have the capacity to inhale oxygen into our lungs, where specific gas exchanges take place, and then release carbon dioxide as we exhale. I find it fascinating that out bodies know exactly where and how oxygen needs to be transported in order to keep each cell alive and functioning. I think it’s really important to understand the basic biology of our breath, to develop a deeper understanding of the importance of pranayama.

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When I first started Iyengar yoga classes and contemplated teacher training, it was expressed to me that I needed to find a teacher within the method and stay only with this teacher, with the exception of workshops run by other senior Iyengar yoga teachers. This didn’t make sense to me. I had always attended classes all over the place and I had a few teachers for lengthy periods of 6-to-12 months but certainly not for years … my thoughts were that the more teachers you have the more information you could gain and the more interesting and fun it would be.

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When we bought our first home in the beautiful Blue Mountains (BC or before children), I was lucky enough to place first dibs on the loveliest room in the house. This room became my sacred and serene yoga space. The room had honeysuckle coloured floorboards, soft white walls and high ceilings. The large cottage window looked out onto a stunning Rhododendron that donned huge bright pink flowers. This tree brought me hope in the depths of a cold mountain winter knowing that when it started to bud and flower, warmer weather was upon us.

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