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.

Tip 3: Pre-plan a few poses
Know ahead of time which poses will start your practice. It can be helpful to always start with the same sequence so that you have a reference point from day to day about how your body is feeling. A good place to start is in Forward Virasana, followed by downward dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), then stepping up to Uttanasana and back to downward dog. That sequence can be repeated several times. Once your body starts to warm up, you can add in some standing poses or sitting poses or back extensions or inversions.

Tip 4: Something is better than nothing
Practicing for even just 5 minutes is better than nothing. Starting with 5 minutes of yoga inevitably leads to a longer session as your body enjoys the movement. Even if you do stop after 5 minutes, you have still practiced for 5 minutes longer than you would otherwise have done. Let go of the pressure of recreating an entire yoga class at home yourself.

Tip 5: Build your practice into your routine
Routine is key to making your practice a habit. Set aside a consistent time that works with your schedule. For many getting up a little earlier before the household wakes up can work. For others, practicing when you get home from work or in the evening before bed is more achievable. Foresee any tasks that might get in the way of your practice and clear them off your plate.

Tip 6: Collect poses
Each time you attend a class at Unfold make a conscious effort to remember just one pose from the class that you found beneficial and add it to your home practice for that week. This can help your home practice gather momentum and keep you interested.

Tip 7: Be prepared to improvise with props!
There are plenty of substitutes for custom-made yoga props around the home. Below are some common substitutes that you may find useful:
Mat: bath towel, camping mat
Yoga strap: scarf, dressing gown belt, tie, skipping rope, dog lead
Yoga brick: a thick book with rubber bands around it to keep it closed, a suitable off cut of wood. If you are using two bricks, make sure they are the same size.
Bolster: roll up a blanket or quilt or cushion and tie with octopus straps or other straps
Yoga chair: a dining chair or desk chair. Avoid chairs with wheels!
Yoga blankets: a thick towel or home blankets

by Samantha Smith