Developing a home practice

A home practice is a flexible form of self care that can be fitted into the small gaps that open up in our hectic, time-poor modern lives. But people can find it hard to get started. Here are some yoga self practice tips which work for me.

• Mark out this time for yourself. Turn off your phone and put away the to do list.

• Keep it simple. Make a promise to yourself to 'gift yourself' a few minutes of mindful movement each day. As you develop the habit, you and your body will begin to respond naturally and want to do it more and more.

• For some it helps to create a comfortable space, let others know this is your practice time, set the lighting just how you like it, maybe put on some gentle music – whatever helps you to contain the space.

• Remind yourself why you are doing this practice. Say it out loud. Write it down.

• Practice what feels good. Step into a 'conversation' with your body. Notice, with curiosity, what you feel in your body today. What does your breath and your body tell you about how you are doing today?

• Counting your breaths can be a useful way to contain your practice, to anchor a busy mind, and also as a way of measuring how long you are in any particular pose or flow sequence.

• Don't judge yourself. Some days you will feel more in the 'groove' than others. That's being human.

• A longer, slower practice can include:
A beginning: settling in to the breath and sensory awareness.
A middle: exploring whichever poses and flow practice that moves you today. Start with the ones you enjoy most and go from there.
An end: a resting pose, drinking in the nourishment of your practice.

OR

You might prefer a series of little 'yoga snacks'; little 'pauses' which you can weave in amongst your day to day activities - say, when the kettle is boiling or you are having a cup of tea, or while you are walking - to tune in to sensory experience, with curiosity asking yourself what feels good in your body in this moment, and what might be calling for your attention.