Yoga At Home - Ten Steps

10 Steps of Yoga at Home

8 May 2014 by Carmen Burby

          It is an understatement to say that time is our most precious commodity.  There are times when we literally try to manage it more efficiently by eliminating certain activities that we believe are less fundamental to our regimented life style.  We tend to give priority to our immediate, most pressing external responsibilities, thus neglecting ourselves, sometimes reaching the inevitably point of exhaustion. 

With this in mind, the Ten Steps of Yoga at Home was created to assist you in your personal journey of discovery towards a healthier and happier way of life. 

1.	Choose A Space For Your Practice.  Arrange a small area in your home where you can place your mat and that allows you to lay your arms alongside your body, above your head and stretched out on the floor at 90 degrees to your body.  Nearby obstacles should be avoided to allow total freedom of movement.
2.	Purchase a CD or DVD If you are a beginner an instructional CD or DVD or MP3 / MP4 will guide through your initial practice.  However, if you are an experienced yogi you may like to create your own practice.  You can choose your media depending on what you would like to achieve from your class.  Maybe you would like to have a dynamic class, which will include fast paced exercises, or maybe you would prefer to have a relaxing class with gentle, meditative and therapeutic exercises.  So, choose the appropriate accompaniment for your personal journey.
3.	Establish A Regular Daily Routine Choose a time, which you can devote entirely to yourself without external interruptions.  If you have limited time available you may allow yourself between 15 – 30 minutes, with the ultimate aim of maintaining a full two-hour session.  This time, solely dedicated to yourself, will nurture you and promote your well being by creating a more relaxed, peaceful and energised person.
4.	Create An Intention Decide what your intention is for the day’s practice.  What do I want to achieve?  To attain a balanced mind?  To manage daily stress? To stay relaxed so I am able to handle anything in a calm manner? To develop compassion?  To empower myself to change my life style?  To heal? Or do I want to dedicate my practice to a friend who is in need?  Throughout your practice try to focus on your intention.
5.	Concentrate On A Mantra Start your practice by chanting your preferred mantra or your own mantra if you have one, or you may simply repeat the universal mantra OM three times.  The focus on the mantra prepares us mentally and spiritually for the class.
6.	Breathing Exercise I believe it is a good practice to perform a breathing exercise at the beginning of your practice as it prepares you for your session by helping the body eliminate large quantities of carbon dioxide and other impurities.  This permits the red blood cells to absorb more oxygen, increasing the richness of the blood as Swami Sivananda mentions in his new book of yoga.  Thus, you will feel alert and inspired for the practice to come.
7.	The Practice Depending on how much time you have allowed for your day’s practice, start by focusing on your intention, then your mantra, the breathing exercise and Sun Salutation followed by the main postures (asanas).  If your time is very limited try doing the Sun Salutation, which consists of 12 bending and stretching postures (asanas).  It is aimed at warming up, adding flexibility to the spine and toning the entire body and its performance assists greatly in the subsequent execution of the asanas.  Always conclude with the final relaxation.
8.	Final Relaxation The session ends with the final relaxation.  Lying down in Savasana (corpse pose) for at least 10 minutes to relax every part of your body.  Swami Sivananda says “It is vital that you integrate this relaxation time into your asana session right from the start.  Otherwise the mind may find an excuse to leave it out and you will not absorb the full effects of the asanas”  (The New Book of Yoga – The Sivananda Yoga Centre).
9.	Patience Is A Virtue Be consistent in your practice and avoid self-criticism.  At whatever stage you are at in your practice try to concentrate on your own experience.  There are a number of magazines, which depict experienced practitioners in advanced postures and on seeing them one may think I will never be able to achieve these postures.  Be patient with yourself, your practice is a personal journey.
10.	Closing Your Practice / Gratitude Feel grateful for having given yourself the opportunity to have this new experience and acknowledge the benefits you are accumulating within. Close your practice by chanting OM 3 times. Om Namah Sivaya (I salute the divine within you)
Addendum
	I hope you will be consistent in your practice to give yourself the opportunity to fully understand and feel the benefits of this beautiful practice.  Approach every class with curiosity.   The guidance outlined above is just a template on which to build your practice.
	Wishing you an enlightened journey along the road to discovering the richness of Yoga! © 2014 Carmen Burby.   htpp://www.energysprings.blogspot.com