Exploring Yoga at-home Part 2.
An afternoon self-practice next to Lake Vembanad, meditation and mantra amidst the backwaters of Kerala 2023.
“Oftentimes when we need yoga the most, we want it the least.”
- Rolf Gates, Yoga Teacher and Author of ‘Meditations from the Mat.’
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YOGA AT-HOME
One of the beautiful sentiments of exploring an at-home practice is the journey of what it means to establish and maintain an inviting and inspiring private space that is curated by you! Firstly I would like to acknowledge that while having a separate practice space is ideal and would be a dream for many, it is absolutely not essential nor feasible for most of us and so therefore should not dishearten or deter anyone. An at-home practice is not about the size of the space, it is about how much presence you bring and what you do in the space. For example I was once living in an apartment with another and the communal space was a limited option for me to unroll my yoga mat to practice undisturbed. It was because of the limitation that I accepted my only options which were to either practice outdoors at the beach, a nearby dedicated ashtanga practice house, or to unroll my mat in my very cute albeit compact room ! This time was truly an insightful journey for me as I was ‘forced’ to explore the limitations of how a mostly linear shaped yoga asana method could be explored within a space of my yoga mat. With just enough clear room on the floor for my mat and bolster within a confined and cluttered space surrounded by a table to my front, a wall to my left and a bed to my right - I look back at that moment in time with gratitude for the opportunity to strengthen my discipline and devotion through the physical restriction. It is amazing how those windows of perceived restriction in certain periods of life can provide a layer of perspective and gratitude for the not so restricted moments. The point is, whether it is a corner space of small a room, an uncluttered window of time to use the floor space usually occupied by children or pets, a room itself or on a deck outdoors, if you require a mat to practice, then the space of a mat can be really enough.
With the science of yoga consisting of many many branches of practices, practical things to consider when organising your at-home practice involve :
Connecting to your intention for the practice space
What part of your practice are you wanting to explore at home ?
Knowing this will help determine your ideal amount of space. If all you need is a meditation cushion or uncluttered nook for going inwards and strengthening your inner muscles of focus - then not much space is needed :) Though if you’re wanting to work with props such as a wall, chair, bolster, pillow and strap, then enough space for a yoga mat in a quiet, clean and well ventilated space is ideal. As movements can go beyond the yoga mat, please consider safety as a priority - to have freedom of movement without worrying about knocking over a vase, candle or getting caught in a plant vine helps with preventing injuries and help avoid restrictive tension-based movements.
Curating your practice space
Will your at-home yoga zone be dedicated to going inward and exploring mindful activity only, or is it a part of a dynamic communal space where others in your household occupy and enjoy?
This is where we come back to the initial self-inquiry prompts shared in part 1. To know which elements of an in-person group class help you feel inspired and in the mood to practice is the gateway for your own curation of supportive details for your space. This is especially useful for those whose ‘space’ isn’t necessarily a dedicated zone of the home, but more of a window of time where silence and dedicated environment allow for you to unroll the yoga mat or positioning the meditation cushion for the 5, 15, 30 or 45-minute window available. In which case I would recommend having a shelf/cupboard or basket nearby the allocated space to store and make accessible all the ‘equipment’ required to follow through with your intention of practice.
From gross to subtle details for inviting the mood for practice, may the following suggestions serve to remind you that showing up to your practice is really the key and already enough - so let us note down as to what ‘reminders’ help encourage our efforts to unroll the mat or sit on the cushion, the reminders that bring us into the mood for self-care.
I invite you to connect to your heart space, to lovingly look inward and ask yourself what tangible or intangible supportive stimuli will guide you into practice…
There are two wonderful quotes from the book ‘Meditations from the mat’ by yoga teacher, former army ranger and social worker specialising in addiction - Rolf Gates, “Love is not a thought, it is an action. And each loving action that we take infuses us with more energy for loving action in the future.” & “Oftentimes when we need yoga the most, we want it the least.”
* Can we make self-care an embodied action of love? And can we continue to water this bare yet seeded garden knowing that roots and growth are happening beneath the surface?
Ideas for helping set the mood for your practice :
-When beginning to form any new habit (healthy or unhealthy), consistency in rhythm will help solidify the form as it grows in momentum. Considering a time of day that works with your schedule will help over time, as when we create windows of time to go inward, the association with the new habit of behaviour will grow and strengthen unseen within the realms of our subconscious. One essence of why we may have a self-practice is to serve a higher intention not only to benefit ourselves but for other beings around us. Imagine starting your day dedicating time connect with the source of your own inner peace/balance/clarity, and then imagine leaving your house unconsciously sharing the benefits of your practice through embodying the change and interacting with the world in a more harmonious and resilient state.
-Once you’ve decided that it’s time to practice, is there a bodily gesture that could initiate the sense of beginning practice, of beginning your self-care ritual? For example, placing both hands on your chest above the heart space and taking 3 slow and smooth breaths can be a way of embodying this intention - a nurturing and motivating mantra/ affirmation would be a beautiful addition to layer this. A gesture can also include a routine or ritual for preparation, whatever actions indicate to yourself that it is time to connect. Just as we build habit patterns that associate certain actions with events, so to we can build intentional habits to have an almost ritual-like approach to anything we do.
-Is having an altar to place meaningful and sacred objects to you going to inspire a more heart-centred mood to connect and explore inward/physically/mentally/spiritually? If this interests you, then it is important to know that there are no rules when it comes to what you place on your personal altar. An altar raises reverence for whatever is placed on it. It could house ; a candle that you light as a ritual before practice, sacred incense and holder, an ancestral heirloom you’d like to grow in connection with, a resonant/visually nourishing crystal, oracle deck, inspirational quote or photograph of inspiring people whose qualities you’d like to invoke and grow, meaningful memorabilia, a book or art piece that provides timeless teachings, a small plant or flower, a shell or any other of natures gifts she leaves across the paths we walk on. Creating an altar is a beautiful practice path in itself, so if the details overwhelm you then I’d invite you to start with minimal objects that celebrate and symbolise the beauty of mother nature and/or memorabilia of special events, places or people who allow you to connect to the goodness of yourself, others and the world.
-Setting the tone for self-care with music or sound vibration can inspire the soul to stir inside in any context. Whether pressing play on a playlist of healing sounds frequencies, the sounds of a singing bowl or playing a few notes on an instrument can turn on an internal switch and that tells your subconscious mind that it is time for self-care through influencing your vibrational state.
Carving out the time for self-practice
When intending to build your garden of practice what matters most is not the amount of time spent practicing, whats matters is the presence and intentionality brought to whatever it is you are doing - whether with a bolster, yoga mat, meditation cushion, journal, paint brush or instrument. I am a big advocate for beginning self-lead practice with smaller incremental time allocations, and letting it build naturally over time through the cultivation and nurturing of your attention and energy. For example setting a 1-minute timer for your meditation practice or developing the capacity of letting your body relax through a 10 minute+ yoga nidra while in savasana would be a beautiful first step. In general I have found that placing sacred boundaries for times of practice can help ease the pressure or resistance towards it in the early stages. Whether it is the 1-minute timer for meditation or reflective/free flow journalling, the short 15-minute calming or stimulating set of movements, 5-minutes of sitting and connecting to your inhale and exhale, or chanting a mantra in repetition - I invite you to start small, because the most important thing is that you action your intention by allowing yourself to begin ! :)
Curiosity, compassion & consistency
Remember what made you want to explore and deepen your practice in the first place. Was it to begin the journey of honouring and working with the sacred temple that is your physical body? Was it to support yourself in managing your mental and emotional well-being through mindfulness? Was it to develop connection to your true self so you can balance the needs of dynamics required from yourself and others? Was it because you were seeking a sense of accessibility to feel relaxed, re-energised and reverential within your home environment?
No matter what the reason was/is, the path of self-practice is available is available at all times - here to develop and evolve as we also grow and mature into understanding ourselves and our needs within each season of this life cycle.
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An at-home practice can be self-lead and it can also involve the support of online resources. Fortunately we live in a time where we can connect with people and practices through online-live classes, youtube offerings and recorded or live workshops. As the teachings of yoga unfold within each individuals deepening of practice, to surround ourselves with uplifting and like-minded company allows the path of practice to be shared, challenged, explored and enjoyed with others. [The Monthly Muse Series for October interviewed Katie Rose. Click HERE to read Katies’ answer to the question, ‘With the rise of AI and societies movement towards a technology reliant reality, how can we discern to whom and where we can access safe, nourishing and impactful conscious online community spaces with ?’ ]
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Each time we show-up for practice we further deepen the impression of valuing ourselves on a mental, spiritual and physical level. Thereby embodying the value of understanding that how we show-up for ourselves impacts how we show-up for others and the world around us - and so no effort will ever be unnoticed as the impact of practice will continue to ripple from us, around us.
May your practice space invite a safe and welcoming atmosphere for you to explore your needs of nourishment, ready to meet you in your authentic state as you are, no matter how cloudy or radiant your disposition may be.
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Click to read Yoga at-home Part 1.
[ Through Facebook I have created a private group to anyone who’d like to share any insights and experiences from their self-practice and yoga journey. It is a brand new online corner for connection (I’m still finding my rhythm with this platform), and is welcome to anyone interested in accessing more resources and points of discussion around holistic health, practice pathways and travel insights. Search the private group KiMaya Collective join. ]
Frances :)
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