I have always love home practice. Studio practice is great to explore new poses but home practice is the time i develop a deeper connection to the practice, a better understanding of my body and asanas, awareness of my breathing and my mind.
me with my favorite red thin mat
many don't practice at home because they don't know where or how to start. I've always tell my yogi friends, start of by practicing surya-namaskar (sun-salutations). When you are comfortable, add in your favorite asanas (poses). Then, when you feel like more challenge, try some new asanas. If this is still not helpful enough, always feel free to ask your teacher for ideas on home practice or, simply google for ideas. Yogajournal features very interesting home practices and articles which I find it very very helpful.
Bringing Your Practice Home
Yoga Home Practice
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last evening was our fist practice on kapalbathi. As expected, they gave me a weird look :D but, they did it anyway! kapalbathi pranayama is cleansing breathing exercise. kapala means skull and bathi means shine. so, by practicing kapalbathi regularly, the face will shine with inner radiance :D
How?
- Sit in comfortable crossed leg position with the spine long, shoulder relaxed. Palms resting on knees or in chinmudra. Face relaxed.- Inhale deeply through both nostril, expanding abdomen and exhale with the forceful contraction of abdominal muscles. (Pull the abdomen in by quickly contracting the abdominal muscles and exhale through the nose). The air is pushed out of lungs by contraction of the diaphragm.
- After exhalation, inhale but inhalation should not involve any effort. To inhale, just relax and the lungs will automatically expand and filled with air.
- As a beginner, try 15 respiration or any count as long as comfortable. After completing 15 quick exhalations and natural inhalations , inhale and exhale deeply. This is one round. Practice of Kapalbhati pranayama with 3 such rounds for practice.
So the more you practice, you will have a nicer abdomen :D as it strengthen the abdominal muscles. However, one should not practice kapalbathi if suffering from heart disease, high blood, hernia and during asthma attack.
Remember, work from the abdomen not the shoulder :D Happy Practicing!
just kidding abt the "eat a cookie" part :D
i believe back in the ancient days, yogis didn't practice with foam blocks, colorful sticky mat or D-ring strap. But as time evolved, many discovered that props could help us access posture more fully.
there were only 4 of us in class this noon... and we had the opportunity to explore poses using props. it is interesting to experience how props can help us move deeper into poses. So, if you would like to try some new asanas, consider having props to help you. Apart from straps and blocks, your props can be any basic things like the wall, a table, blanket or maybe a friend. but, most importantly an open mind! Namaste.
doing a twist with the help of a chair
