There are many benefits to starting a home yoga practice. One is you can practice anytime and anywhere--you just need you and a mat. Home practice fosters a deeper exploration of the poses and strengthens the connection between your body and mind. In the quiet of a self-practice, you become your teacher; the insights and guidance you receive arise from your inner self.
Starting a home practice can seem daunting. We may think that we need to mimic a group class, but this is not the case. You need not overwhelm yourself with planning a long session or a complicated sequence. It is best to start with essential poses and build gradually. Consistency is more important than length of practice--even a 10 or 15 minute session is very beneficial.
With consistency and time, you will familiarize yourself with the poses and practice intuitively. Some days will bring a vigorous session and others will be more restorative. Practicing in this way helps bring your body into balance and supports general health. We often push our bodies past their limits in work, busyness, and exercise when we really need rest. Yoga teaches us to listen to our bodies and respond appropriately; self practice gives us the opportunity to personalize our yoga to meet to our changing needs.
The following is a list of books that I have found very helpful in my home practice. The practice sessions in the books take the guess work out of "what to do". Take your time and suspend any preconceptions--you may be pleasantly surprised.
30 Essential Yoga Poses by Judith Hanson Lasater
Yoga Mind, Body and Spirit by Donna Farhi
Ashtanga Yoga, The Practice Manual by David Swenson
Yoga, The Iyengar Way by Silva Mehta
