Creating A Home Yoga Session

Choose a time when you will not be disturbed. Early morning is a good time for most people. If you have children, you will have to consider their schedule. Give yourself a minimum of 30 minutes; 45 minutes to an hour is really nice!

Find a space that is roomy enough for you to lay on your back and spread your arms and legs in both directions. Feel that you have enough room to extend as far as you can in all directions. Be sure the temperature in the room is comfortable, not too warm, not too hot.

Wear stretchy or baggy clothing that allows full movement, with no tightness in crotch or around the waist.

Assemble all your props.

Centering: Sit comfortably on your cushion(s); press tailbone downward, crown of head upward, roll shoulders back and down, feel heart center open. Take long, slow, deep breaths in and out through the nostrils. Bring your awareness into the body; notice any tightness, soreness, even emotional issues you are currently dealing with. Acknowledge whatever is going on with you, and see if you can set it aside to deal with later, with an intention to honor any physical limitations. You can inhale a full breath and exhale "OM" or "YUM" or "MOM" or any sound that grounds you in your body--or just sigh out the breath. The first Yoga Sutra of Patanjali is "And now, Yoga!" You are ready!

Warm-ups: Move slowly, remembering to breathe, to gently warm up the spine, the neck and shoulders, the torso, the hips, and the legs. Warm-ups can be done on the back, seated, or standing. Do as many as your body is asking for, or, if you are not yet in tune with your body, follow the warm-ups on this blog or in a book of gentle yoga. Be compassionate toward your body in regard to stiffness, soreness, or other issues.

Standing postures: Come to a standing position through Downward Dog, rolling slowly up. Choose 3 or 4 standing postures, holding each pose for 5 - 8 breaths, performing them slowly and meditatively: breathe, relax, feel, watch and allow. Consider the metaphorical or symbolic aspects of the poses. Relate them to yourself, as you are today.

Balancing postures:  Do one or two balancing postures, keeping the gaze on one point, the mind calm. Hold for the same number of breaths on each side. Notice how some days your balance is off, sometimes you are more steady. This is how our lives are! Accept where you are today. If you fall out of the pose, simply repeat it, even using the wall for support if you need to. Try not to ever leave a balance pose having fallen out of it. Find a way to transition gracefully out of the pose before you go on. This has an important effect on your mental attitude.

Rest: Come down onto your mat, on your back, keeping the eyes open, as you relax briefly and notice the effects you feel as a result of your standing practice. There are many internal sensations, full breathing, etc. happening. Be aware. Breathe, relax, feel, watch & allow. After about a minute, draw one knee up to the chest, and as you exhale, press the leg into the ribcage. Hold it there and breathe about 5 breaths. Then repeat on the other side. This releases tension in the lower back that may have come up during the standing postures. Add any other gentle movements, such as rocking from side to side. Then roll over onto your belly.

Belly-down postures: The combination of Cobra, Locust (modified as "Downward Facing Boat"), and Bow, with Child Pose in between, is a good practice for the spine and for building core strength. Hold each pose to your personal edge, then release gently into Child Pose. Take your time. From here, come into a seated position.

Seated postures:  The seated postures include forward bends, twists, arm balances such as Half Circle Pose, Side Lift, Plank, and Inclined Plane. Remember to use your cushion under your tailbone and your strap as necessary.

Inversions: You have probably already done Downward Dog Pose, which is an inversion, as is Dolphin Pose. Consider now a supported Half Shoulderstand: on your back, cushion(s) under the hips, legs extended vertically. Or, rest the legs on a couch or chair. Relax in this pose for several minutes if you have the time, but for at least 3 minutes. Then slowly release onto your back.

Deep Relaxation: Do not skip this! Up to now, you have been "mixing the cake" and now it is time to "put the cake in the oven"!  During Deep Relaxation, your body integrates the effects of the yoga practice, for the most benefit to body, mind and spirit. So come into Corpse Pose, using any props shown in an earlier post (if it is chilly, cover yourself with a light blanket), even play some meditative music (no tune or beat for the mind to get caught up in, please), and progressively relax each leg and foot, arm and hand, belly, spine, and so on, up through your body. Even imagine your brain softening! Take a minimum of 5 minutes, more if you have time.
Gently, roll to one side and return to a seated position.

Closing: Take a moment to notice how you feel. Maybe you'll decide to form an intention for your day, something that may have come up in your practice. You may want to just sit a few minutes and follow your breath in and out, enjoying the state of calm you are in a little longer. You might want to chant "OM" or simply take a deep breath in and sigh it out with a nice long "Ahhhhhhhhh!"
                                                      Have a great day!