Doing yoga regularly is essential for maintaining a good health. Well, of course, you can choose an alternative method of physical activity, but since I’m a practicing yogi, I’m talking about yoga. For me yoga is the same need as eating, sleeping, having rest and cleaning the body. So if you want to get the most of your yoga routine, do it regularly, at least three times a week. If you do it less, the benefits will not have enough time to remain, what to say about their development.
If you visit a yoga class outside, and it is held only twice a week, you need to do yoga at home as well, and on a regular basis.
Why Doing Yoga Regularly Is Important?
Our body as well as the whole Nature, is subject to cyclicality, which is seen everywhere: in the allocation of hormones and digestive juices, in the fluctuations in brain activity; some cycles or rhythms last for minutes, others – for days and even months. And what is important that these cycles depend on each other, so our body works as a complex machine, and a failure of any such cycle negatively influences the system as a whole.
This is also applied to the yoga practice. If your yoga is unsystematic, you won’t get much benefit at the least; of you can even harm yourself.
But, of course this is not the excuse to give up yoga or even avoid it completely. If you practice properly, you will literally thank the day you decided to start doing yoga.
How to Start Doing Yoga At Home
Now we are going to learn the best time, place and circumstances for the home yoga routines.
What Is The Best Time For Doing Yoga?
Basically there are two periods of the day when you can get the best from your yoga. The first period (and the best among two) is the early morning (starting from 4am and up to 6-7am). Doing yoga early in the morning will give you the energy for the whole day. Also it is easier to plan your routine, since there will be much less distractions in the morning time that are often present in the evening (like guests, family, or you may be detained at work). The mind is peaceful and the stomach is empty – so you have got the perfect conditions for the practice.
If for some reason it is impossible or inconvenient to practice in the early part of the day, you can choose the time around the sunset in the evening. This is the other beneficial time to do yoga. But this time makes you more careful, because you need to avoid distractions, and make sure to have an empty stomach.
If it is really difficult for you to get up earlier, don’t force yourself too much; there is already so much sources of stress in our life, and yoga should not become one of them. Train your early rising habit gradually, doing yoga in the evening time along the way.
The Best Place for Yoga Practice
You don’t have to have a separate room (although having the one would be great); you can use any room if at the time of practice it is clean, warm, quiet and properly ventilated. You can tell your family not to disturb you during the time of your yoga. Remove pets from the room as well; otherwise they can ruin your concentration. Turn off your mobile phone.
It is important that your room has an appropriate temperature; you won’t be able to relax if you feel cold. Another point is that practicing in a cold room increases the risk of getting an injury, to pull a muscle or catch a cold.
Being Gradual and Regular In Your Practice
These are the two main principles of the safe and successful yoga program. Being gradual means growing your program step by step; you start with easy yoga poses, then, once you feel like mastering them to some extent, you add some more, try more complex asanas, etc.
To be regular means that you do your yoga at a certain time, both during the day and during the week. For example, you practice in the morning, six days a week (and have a rest on Sundays). You can practice three times a week, or do your yoga for the whole seven days (as I do).
When you are constant in your efforts, your yoga progress starts building up, and after a while you notice how far you have gone already, and it inspires you to go further.
More Tips on Developing a Home Yoga Practice
Your practice is not only about the quantity of the poses but about their quality as well. Don’t rush – yoga is a journey not a competition. Enjoy your journey while getting closer to your goals.
Try to relax during yoga, as unnecessary tension will prevent its full potential from blooming in your body and mind. Of course, there are poses where you need to strain you muscles; but just don’t do it without a cause.
Always listen to your body; although you may have a polished program you got used to, our body is not always the same as the day before and sometimes you have to adjust your routine to today’s needs.
Always practice on an empty stomach. That is why doing yoga in the morning is the best option. If you are very hungry, you can eat something light, like an apple (not a kilo of apples! :)), a yogurt, drink some juice or water. This is fine especially if you have stomach disorders.
Don’ts
You should never do yoga under the following conditions:
- Body temperature is above 37 degrees of Celsius
- Acute exacerbations of chronic diseases
- Immediately after sports
- For 3-5 hours after the bath
- Within days after taking alcohol or any narcotic and hallucinogenic substances
- In a state of severe physical fatigue
- After undergoing a severe stress
- During the first 1-2 days of menstruation
- Immediately after a meal
- Just before the bedtime
So, these are the tips for doing yoga at home. Enjoy your practice!