How To Do Yoga At Home
This article was co-authored by Ken Breniman, LCSW, C-IAYT. Ken Breniman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Yoga Therapist and Thanatologist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ken has over 15 years experience of providing clinical support and community workshops utilizing a dynamic combination of traditional psychotherapy and yoga therapy. He specializes in eclectic non-denominational yoga guidance, grief therapy, complex trauma recovery and mindful mortal skills development. He has a MSW from Washington University in St. Louis and an MA Certification in Thanatology from Marian University of Fond du Lac. He became certified with the International Association of Yoga Therapists after completing his 500 training hours at Yoga Tree in San Francisco and Ananda Seva Mission in Santa Rosa, CA.There are 24 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 88% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 580,339 times.
Market And Expand Your Brand
After you have established your yoga studio with the solid loyal following, it is now the time to expand the business. You already have a pool of potential clients. Use those clients for spreading a word of mouth about the quality of your yoga instructions.
A way to promoting your yoga brand is to take it out of the four walls of your studio and integrate it with popular activities of people in your locality. You can reach out to the schools and programs. Involve in some activities in your own unique way so that your marketing strategy stands out from that of your competitors.
For example, you can think of combining your yoga instructions with some surfing activity. People love to involve themselves in such a combination of activities to benefit more from a limited time they have in hands. When marketing your business, do not forget to show your;unique ;yoga logo design every time on your yoga activities.
To sum it up, we can say that when starting your own yoga business, you must treat it like any other business and make additional efforts for its growth. Right from putting in place a proper business plan to find out right location and marketing plan, consider every aspect of it.
Online Yoga: Dont Let Anything Stop You
If youve ever been to an in-person yoga class, you know its hard to replicate that vibe. However, that hasnt stopped millions of people from trading in their eucalyptus-infused towels for living room livestreams. Instead of losing steam, yoga is now more popular than it ever was.;
During the pandemic, yoga was the perfect respite for people stuck at home on lockdown. Since you dont need much to practice yoga it was an easy, low-cost, and space-conscious way to keep active. But because of the powerful effect yoga has on stress and mood, it also became a mental health lifeline as well.
And a few downdogs are a great way to work out the kinks you get from working from a sofa or dining room table all week.
Yoga studios will always be a mood, but there are some things you just cant beat about online classes. Here are 6 benefits of virtual yoga classes:
Also Check: Bikram Calories Burned
What Do You Need To Know About Classes And Cost
Heres a breakdown for average class costs:
- Studio package or membership. Approximately $100 to $200 per month.
- Gym membership. Approximately $58 to $100 per month.
- Online yoga membership. Approximately $60 to $150 per year.
- Private session. Varies based on the instructor.
While its certainly less expensive to practice yoga at home, new yogis may find it beneficial to begin with a group class or by scheduling a private yoga session. The guidance and feedback a teacher provides on the spot is invaluable. You just cant get that same experience from an online video or book.
Many yoga studios offer session and class packages. The cost ranges depending on where you live and what package youre looking for. The initial investment is a lot more than paying per class, but often these packages give you a discount on the per-session or per-class investment.
Packages are a good idea if you want to try a new studio, or if you want to commit to attending class regularly. Some studio memberships can provide extra perks, as well as reduce your per-class investment.
If your local yoga studios rates are out of your price range, check gyms and community centers. They often offer budget-friendly options. Some gyms may also allow you to attend classes for no additional cost.
How To Create A Yoga Space At Home
Yoga has been a vital practice for ages, assisting with overall health and mindfulness. It doesnt take much work to transform an area of your home into the perfect yoga zone. All you really need is a mat and enough room to move around 360 degrees. Creating your own inviting and intimate yoga space will amp up your practice and zen mindset a hundredfold!
Having a peaceful space to practice yoga is beneficial to your overall health. It dissolves the stress from a long day at the office and helps you forget about the fact that you spend about 38 hours a year stuck in traffic. Ditch the laundry piles. Clean out that old office you never use. Get ready to transform your space and your life.
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Prioritize And Sanctify Your Practice
Make a specific spot in your;home that is specifically reserved for your practice. When you roll out your mat, you are in your own little yoga studio, so be there! Dont roll it out and then walk away and get on Facebook . Creating a small altar or having a special picture, token or candle there to mark this as a sacred space for intentional practice will help you. When you practice, make practice your sole focus. Turn off the phone, music and computer. Honor your practice time as sacred and important. Make boundaries around yourself for your practice time. If you are in a house with other people, you will need to gracefully practice conscious communication with them in order to protect your uninterrupted practice time and space.
What About Yoga Clothes
To start with, you will only need a few items of special clothing, to stay comfortable during yoga sessions and to be able to perform at your best. In time, however, dont be surprised if you find yourself passionate about collecting yoga clothing items.
Also, you should know that there are yoga-inspired clothes for day to day use, too, for those who want to display their passion for yoga with symbols and so on. The same goes for yoga-inspired jewelry and accessories: theres no shortage of meaningful ways to make your outer appearance reflect your hobby.
But speaking about yoga clothes in the strict sense of clothes that you will need for your practice, things are much simpler.
This is what you will need to be equipped for yoga classes:
- A pair of yoga pants;;
- A;yoga;tank top;;
- A pair of comfy sneakers;that you should only keep for indoor use and that should have light and flexible soles.
If you just started out doing yoga and dont want to go broke buying everything you need at once, we suggest you wear some other comfortable shoes or sneakers for a while. You dont absolutely need specialized yoga sneakers, but you do need special clothing for yogis, so you should make that your priority if you need to choose.
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Prepare The Night Ahead
Just like with anything else in life, preparing yourself for a yoga session is one of the easiest ways you can be successful! If youre worried that you wont stick to your scheduled yoga sessions, get everything you need out the night before.
Pick out a yoga outfit before bed and lay it out in a place where its easy to grab. Layout your mat and leave it to serve as an inspiration to get that morning session in.
Put together an idea of what type of yoga youre interested in practicing. Whether its a sweaty workout, a relaxation session, or just a few basic poses to help work on building your strength.
Choose Your Yoga Style / Routine
What are you going to do when you are on your mat? The first question to ask is..;What do my body and mind need?
Something active;like;Vinyasa Flow,;to get the juices flowing or something more soft and;restorative, to quiet your body and mind?;The more you do yoga, the more you learn the effects of different practices and the more you learn to recognise what it is your body and mind need at different times.;
If you pick an online class, dont get stuck in reading too many class descriptions. The nature of the mind is to look for the perfect class to solve everything. That class doesnt exist; you have to make it yourself. You can also decide to pick a;yoga program;where weve put together a series of classes that fit well together or choose from;Playlists, playlists of classes your fellow members and EkhartYoga teachers have compiled.
Pick a style, teacher, specific use and preferred class duration from the filters on the;classes;page, look for a title that speaks to you and go for it!;The way you make the class perfect for you is through practising with full awareness, with as little resistance as possible. If there is a part you dont like, breathe through it and observe your reactions. Remember that how you react on the mat seeps through in how you react in daily life. In daily life, you will also come across situations you dont like and choose not to change or are unable to change. Remember Pattabhi Jois words ;Do your practice and all is coming.
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Entering The Pro Or Advanced Stage Of Yoga
Dana Diament, a Yoga Medicine instructor based in Byron Bay, Australia. You can follow her journey at www.danadiament.com.
Being an advanced practitioner is less about doing advanced poses although your body may certainly be ready for those and more about deepening your commitment to practice on and off the mat.
What Is The Easiest Yoga Sequence For A Beginner To Do At Home
An easy way to start your yoga practice at home is the traditional Sun Salutation A, which is a set sequence of yoga poses that are linked to each other in order to create a smooth flow of movement.
Once youve found a nice and calm spot at home to roll out your yoga mat, step on the front of the mat with the feet hip-width apart. Bring your hands in front of your heart, close your eyes and take a few breaths to tune into your body.
On an inhale, open the eyes and lift the arms up over your head. Exhale and bow forward, bringing the fingertips to the ground. You can bend the knees as much as needed.
With the next inhale, make a big step back with the right leg so that youre in a runners lunge position. The fingers are still on the ground, and you lift the chest and the head up.Exhale and step the left leg back as well to arrive in the iconic position of Downward-Facing Dog. Lift the buttocks up and push the tailbone back until your ears are between the biceps. You can keep the knees bent to have more space to tilt the pelvis forward and lengthen the back. Imagine the pose as an upside-down V.
With your next inhale, shift your body weight forward so that your shoulders are stacked above the wrists, and you arrive in a push-up position. Exhale and lower the body down to lie on your belly. Lift your head and chest up with the inhale and exhale to return to Downward-Facing Dog. Feel free to stay here for a few breaths and tune into your body again.
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Which Type Of Yoga Practice Do You Recommend Doing At Home To Help Ease Anxiety During Lockdown
The most important thing you need to remember: for yoga to relieve stress and anxiety you have to do it! In the middle of your day, when you feel anxious, take a minute or two to stretch, breathe deeply and notice how it feels. This mindful stretching and breathing can cut through the physiological response to stress and bring you back to cheerfulness in a short timeespecially if its done often. Watch your cat or dog, how many times a day do they stretch? They stretch because it feels good, not because they saw another dog in a book. So keep your short practice yummy.
Then watch your mind. Anxiety is a state of heightened awareness based on fear. You feel disempowered, but you probably arent aware of that as the root cause of anxiety. How do you take back your power?
The Yoga Sutras say we need both practice and non-attachment to have a calm, clear mind and emotions. The easiest, fastest way to develop non-attachment is to choose to be selfless in this moment. Think a compassionate thought for a friend or someone who is suffering. Say a prayer for them, call a lonely relative, do a small, kind action for someone. There are hundreds of ways to choose selflessness right now. Theres no need to do something heroic for selflessness to release the grip of anxiety.
By Swami Vidyananda from Satchidananda Ashram Yogaville
How To Approach Classes As A New Student
Many studios have beginner classes and fundamental workshops. These offerings are wonderful for beginner and advanced students alike. Theyre often slower paced, and focus more attention on alignment and how to safely get into the poses.
Bring your yoga mat and water. For warmer classes, you might want to bring a towel, too. Most studios are usually well-equipped with yoga props such as blocks, blankets, straps, and bolsters, but you may want to call ahead or check online to be sure.
A common reservation for beginners is working with injuries and a lack of familiarity with the poses. If this is a concern, you can work privately with an instructor before entering group classes. Just a few individual sessions can provide the foundation and confidence you need to modify poses or work around your injury.
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There Are Many Styles Of Yoga
If youre scrolling through what seems like an endless list of classes, all with titles that mean nothing to you , Howe has a few tips to ease your selection stress. Think of the reasons you want to start your practice, she says. If youve never tried yoga before, maybe avoid the Power/Ashtanga type classes and Bikram . Get to know how your body feels in a regular temperature class, she suggests. When in doubt, Try many different styles, many different instructors, Howe says. Youll know what works best for you. Theres something for everyone or a style or flavor for every day of the week. After all, theres even face yoga.
The History Of Yoga And How Its Developed Into The Practice You Know Today
Yoga Medicine instructor based in Byron Bay, Australia. You can follow her journey at danadiament.com.
Ask any yoga practitioner to define yoga, and youre likely to get a myriad of answers. For some, its a way to feel good in their bodies. For others, its a spiritual practice, and for many, a way of life. But regardless of your approach, yoga can help reshape and unravel your habitual or unconscious patterns.
Practicing yoga helps provide a foundation and tools to building good habits, such as discipline, self-inquiry, and nonattachment. This exercise is also a pathway to empower you to make conscious choices to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Today, many agree that the word yuj which yoga derives from refers to greater internal states, such as clarity, peace, and happiness.
One prevalent definition comes from The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, compiled before 400 A.D. In the second verse of the first book, yoga is defined as the cessation of mind wandering. The sutras also provide an eight-limb system that guides the practitioner to transcend beyond the mind and attain yogic freedom.
The eight-limb system is an integral and highly regarded part of yoga. Today, we practice asana, the physical postures, the most. These were developed in the early 20th century by Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. Then, three of his most well-known students further developed particular styles of yoga, each with something different and beneficial to offer.
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How To Find The Right Yoga Class And Instructor
Though most forms of yoga are safe for expecting moms, we recommend looking specifically for a prenatal yoga class, especially if youve never done yoga before. Prenatal yoga classes are tailored specifically for pregnant women. If you want to start yoga during your pregnancy but no prenatal yoga classes are available, start with a gentle yoga class for beginners.;
Once youve found the class you want, call the studio and ask to speak with the owner or instructor. Let them know youre pregnant, and ask about the experience and knowledge of the instructor who will be teaching your class. Though its not mandatory that all yoga teachers be certified,;Yoga Alliance;maintains a database of certified, registered yoga instructors that offer prenatal yoga. These instructors are;required to meet educational standards;in teaching methodology, human anatomy and physiology, and practical trainings.
Yoga played a huge role in our pregnancies, and its a wonderful exercise and stress-relief option for moms-to-be. Talk to your doctor for more information about incorporating yoga into your pregnancy routine, or;request an appointment for more information.;
Namaste!
