One of my biggest struggles as a self-proclaimed “yogi” is balancing my home yoga practice with being a wife, a mom, and a full time elementary teacher to list a few.  (Even if you’re not a yogi, I’m sure we can all relate to facing frustration with finding balance in some area of life.)  A consistent home practice is imperative when trying to see/feel gains in strength, flexibility, and peace of mind.  But somehow, I still find myself indulging in a self-directed, creative home yoga practice less than I’d love.

My preference is to rendezvous with my mat just after waking and brushing my teeth, but before eating breakfast.  Ideally, my practice occurs during that quiet time before my two little ones are up and about.  But that can prove to be problematic when my youngest son likes to rise before the sun (most days waking between 5-6, sometimes earlier) and I love to “sleep in” for as long as possible.  If my sons are around when I’m on my mat, my peaceful yoga vibes fly out of the window as they climb over, around, and under me.  My angels also like to interrupt my zen by asking me to fix toys or mediate arguments.  Long list of gripes short, it is a less than optimal practice environment.  

My second dilemma seems to be my lack of creativity once I actually get to my mat.  What poses should I do?  In what sequence should I do them?  (I never experience this type of mind-numbing blankness when I’m in front of my vinyasa or gentle class instructing, but in those wee hours alone in the morning, I wrack my brain deciding what to do.)  When I’m truly at an impasse, I rely on falling into the rut of practicing a flow/sequence that is familiar or completing one of the classes on the Cody App.  (Let me clarify that there is nothing wrong with following the direction of a yoga teacher.  Honestly, I love attending a yoga class because I don’t have to think of the sequence and I can enjoy the challenge and the practice itself.  But there is something special about personalizing my own yoga practice, addressing the needs of my body.)

But never fear, I plan to strut into 2017 like Queen Bey herself. 

  Here’s how I plan to elevate my home yoga practice from mediocre to fulfilling.

4 Step Plan

1. Create a morning routine for during the workweek and the weekend and (most importantly) STICK TO IT!

 

(Potential) Workweek Morning Routine

4:30 am Alarm goes off…hit snooze

4:40 am hit snooze again…

4:50 am Find glasses and roll out of the bed and stumble into the bathroom…handle business

5:00 am Pick out a pair of tights and a tee

5:15 am Find my yoga mat, blocks, strap, and my iPod or phone (for tunes)

5:25-6:00 am Get my yoga on

*Clearly this routine needs a little tweaking*

2.   Keep a list in my journal of body regions that need a little nurturing (like my hamstrings…always) or poses that I’d like to explore more regularly (I’d like to begin a daily inversion practice).  I love to warm up by starting my practice with 5-8 sun salutations to get the blood flowing.  My “list” can serve as an informal sequence of poses for the mornings when I’m feeling stuck.

3.   Leave my yoga “stuff” set up and ready in my designated space the night before.  Therefore streamlining the above mentioned routine by avoiding hunting around for my misplaced necessities in the AM.  This would also free up more time for my practice.

4.   Check in with myself monthly, via journaling (blogging), to make note of any improvements as well as areas in need of reevaluation and further focus.

One of the principals that I need to keep at the forefront of my mind is that there is no “right way” to have a home practice.  Making time for my practice and myself is a form of self-care and I can’t go wrong with that.

 

I invite you to go on this yoga journey with me.  Feel free to follow my blog, send comments and questions, or just send positive vibes my way!

 

How do you like to practice yoga when you’re at home?

 

Namaste,

Dominique Anitra