How to Start Yoga at Home

According to a 2019 study conducted by The Good Body, around 36 million Americans practice yoga. That was before the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw an even greater rise in the practice’s popularity. One of the secrets to yoga’s sweeping success over the past few years? Accessibility. Yoga is a mainstay of the at-home workout, because, put simply, it’s one of the easiest to start at home. 

If you’re looking to dive into your own yoga practice from the comfort of your living room—or backyard, or deck, or bedroom, wherever you like—Here are some tips from The Yoga Connection on how to start yoga at home. 

Find the Right Space 

One of the best parts about practicing yoga at home is doing it from the comfort of your favorite space. When you’re picking out a spot to begin your practice, keep the following things in mind:

• Make sure you have enough room: Clear out a space that gives you plenty of room to stretch, bend, and twist into all the poses that may come up in your practice. 
• Check how the space makes you feel: It may sound silly, but the energy of your space has an effect on your practice. If the space in which you are doing your routine is cluttered, loud, or in any other way stressful, you may have a hard time staying motivated to keep up with yours.
• Keep it quiet: Similarly, you’ll want to pick a place that is as peaceful as possible. This should be a time to check in with yourself, your mind, and your body, and a quiet spot makes this easier to do. 

Dress for the Occasion

If you’re just starting out with yoga, you may be wondering whether or not you need to buy a new wardrobe to match your new workout. The good news? While buying new yoga clothes can be fun, you definitely do not have to splurge. As long as you have something comfortable and breathable to wear during your practice, you should be good to go. 

Any of these items in your closet will work for any yoga session—from the high intensity to the most mellow:

• Sweatpants
• Leggings 
• Yoga Pants
• Sports bra
• T-shirt
• Tank top 
• Athletic shorts

Research Classes

Before you get started, you’ll want to do some research into the type of yoga that is best for you. There are actually eight popular yoga styles: Ashtanga, Hatha, Hot Yoga, Iyengar, Kundalini, Power, Restorative, and Vinyasa. 

The one you choose will depend on what exactly you are hoping to get out of your yoga practice. For instance, if you’re looking to get an aerobic workout while increasing your flexibility, you might want to start with a Vinyasa class, where movements and poses flow from one to the other with limited time between each. For more meditative classes, look into restorative, which have a relaxed pace by comparison. 

You’ll also need to decide where you want to take your classes. There are plenty of videos available on YouTube for you to sort through, so you can find an instructor and a pace that matches you. 

If that’s not your speed, apps like Down Dog and Pocket Yoga offer guided practices of every length and skill level to get you started. 

Start Simply 

While it may be tempting to start with the longest or most intense routine, remember that yoga is meant to help you get more in touch with how you and your body feel, and do what is right for it. That means you don’t have to keep up with every instructor or prove anything by starting with a difficult class. In fact, doing so can lead to an injury that can put off your progress by weeks!

Instead, pick a class designed for beginners, and establish a baseline of what you are already good at, and what parts of your practice you may want to devote more time to perfect. Before you know it you’ll be a pro at every pose from crow to cat-cow. 

Establish a Routine 

Setting aside a certain amount of time daily or weekly to come to the mat, even for just fifteen minutes, can make a huge change in your life. Whether you want to become more mindful, improve flexibility, tone your body, decrease stress, or any of the other wonderful things yoga can do for you, carving out time and sticking to a schedule can increase its effectiveness overall.

Practicing Yoga at The Yoga Connection

If you’re looking for more guidance in your at-home yoga practice the Yoga Connection, offers classes that range from large groups to private or semi-private sessions. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro used to practicing at home, we’re happy to have you in the studio to continue your journey. 

Call us today at  919-971-1431 or reach out to us online to learn more about the classes we offer.