In-studio yoga classes are the best, right?
Absolutely nothing beats the magical experience of attending a yoga class at your favourite studio led by your favourite teacher.
Whether you love dynamic strength-based vinyasa classes or relaxing and restorative yin classes, yoga time is the quintessential “me time” we all need.
What happens, though, when the routine of getting in your car, driving to the studio, unrolling your mat in excitement and waiting for class to start is interrupted and you are rendered homebound?
Does your practice of yoga stop, or do you embrace the challenge and invoke the mental flexibility we focus on so much in class to continue your practice?
During these times, with regulations and lockdowns, what happens when our routine gets thrown off?
Problems folks experience when trying to practice yoga at home are commonly things like.
- Not having a dedicated space in which to set up your mat and to move
- Not having yoga props and other equipment
- Having children in the home
- Uncertainty about whether you’re doing things correctly without the teacher there in person to keep watch over you
- Battling to find the time, with working-from-home and/or at home chores overlapping into practice time
When you think about it, NO WONDER many struggle to create an at-home yoga space!!
In a yoga studio, your kids wouldn’t be climbing over you (unless you embrace that sorta thing as an additional challenge, in which case, go you! ). You have all the equipment you need and an experienced teacher to lead you through the class.
You also don’t have your less-than-tidy house looking back at you in downward dog. And since you’ve booked yourself in for the class at a separate location and blocked out the time to practice, chances are you’ll show up.
In this article, we hope to provide you with just a few ways to create your own at-home yoga space. We will also provide recommendations of what you need to get started, plus give you a few tips on where and how to get your yoga fix!
Virtually Opposite
Everyone knows that attending an online class, whether over Zoom or via Youtube is…well, just not the same as in person.
You won’t be able to hear the teacher’s music playing softly around the studio or smell the sweet incense or, heck, feel the warmth of your sun salutations in the same way as when you are in a studio.
However, in these difficult times, virtual classes and online offerings have been a blessing and, without them, we really might have lost our minds!
A study done by Finances Online found that…
- At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, yoga was one of the most popular topics on Instagram across the globe. In March 2020, Instagram posts about yoga grew by 68%, beating topics like news and politics (46%), cooking (33%), recipes (31%), and health (28%)
- Before the pandemic, only 9% of teachers and 40% of students practiced yoga online. During the pandemic, the numbers ballooned to 91% of students and 86% of teachers practicing and teaching online yoga, respectively.
- Before the pandemic, approximately 40% of students taking yoga classes online used recorded classes, such as those found on YouTube or membership sites. During the pandemic, the preferred mode of delivery by students was live-streamed group classes (67%) followed by recorded classes (61%).
- According to a survey, 58% of students and 73% of teachers report that they have a better perception of online yoga now than they did before the pandemic.
You can read the full article here.
Thanks to the pandemic, many yoga studios now offer live-streamed or pre-recorded yoga classes for their members to access, giving them a space to continue their yoga practice when it isn’t possible to gather in studio.
Make It Special
When you think of why you love going to your yoga class, what immediately springs to mind?
- Maybe the smell of incense wafting through the air?
- The fact that this space is sacred to you and a place you come to reconnect to yourself and your body?
- The music that fills your ears as you close your eyes and focus on your breath?
- The words the teacher uses reminding you to let go of what no longer serves you?
It’s a beautiful experience, isn’t it?
So why not recreate this experience, this environment ( even just temporarily ), in our homes?
Equipment
Equipment and props in yoga are perfect for allowing us to go deeper into poses and assist us in staying safe during our practice.
There are a few key items that can really benefit your practice and a few alternatives too if you don’t have your full yoga kit…yet.
- A yoga mat is great but if you don’t have one, a normal carpet is perfect! Best if it isn’t slippery, too, so don’t forget to remove those socks.
- Yoga blocks are incredibly useful for every level of practitioner. But if you don’t have them, no sweat! Use a few big books if you have them! Water bottles are another option to add length to your arms in a pose when you need it.
- A yoga strap can help in so many ways, but if you don’t have one grab a towel from your bathroom, belt from your jeans or a good ol’ tie from the tie rack!
- A bolster if you have one to prop underneath you in seated poses. Alternatively, a firm pillow from your bed or couch will do great!
- A blanket is beautiful for keeping you warm in savasana or adding height to your seat (if folded). As an added bonus, if you have an eye mask or eye pillow, keep it close too! No one will see!!
Recreate Your Experience
Not enough time? Book yourself in for an online class – block out the time on your calendar to attend and use the time you would have previously spent in traffic on the way to the studio to roll out your mat and set up your space.
Kids causing world war 3 in the next room? We understand it’s not easy but recognise the importance of taking time for yourself so you can be the best for your family and for yourself.
Kindly ask a family member to watch the children so that you can refill your cup and restore your energy ( and a little sanity too :))
Create Your Own Experience. Light up some candles and sticks of incense, play some soft music nearby in a comfortable section of your home where you won’t be in front of clutter and can remain undisturbed for the next 45 – 60 minutes or so.
Grab a journal and jot down a few feelings after savasana.
You don’t need a lot or much space to practice yoga at home.
Challenge Yourself. Oftentimes the beauty of practicing in a yoga studio is that everything is created for us and everything we need is already there.
Also, because it’s in a class setting we are much less inclined to get up and leave halfway through.
When practicing at home, we take the opportunity to challenge ourselves and create this space for ourselves. We rely on ourselves. We can be proud of ourselves when we dedicate and stick to the full class time scheduled for the online session. And it becomes easier the more we do it.
Conclusion
Even though practicing yoga from home doesn’t afford us the same experience as in-studio, as you can see from the above, there are ways to recreate the elements of an in-studio class for the times when we, unfortunately, cannot attend our regular in-studio classes.
The practice of yoga teaches and encourages us to maintain flexibility and strength in our bodies but also in our minds too.
Practicing at home, out of your normal routine, can be hard. But it’s not impossible and can be extremely rewarding – keeping you coming back home to yourself!
Written by: Robyn MacGregor | June 2021
