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| Is anyone out there developing their yoga practice at home? After taking yoga classes for 1 1/2 years I felt a strong need to do it on my own. I wanted to do shorter sessions more often rather than one long weekly session. I also wanted to very much personalize the practice. I read the book by Erich Schiffman "Yoga - The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness" and he talks about listening to what your body needs and this helped me gain confidence to proceed on my own.
It took several months of thinking and fantasizing about it before I actually started doing it. But now I have been at it for a few weeks.
So far so good. I have learned to tailor my sessions to what else is going on that day. For example, on days that i do my strength training, I do a very gentle restorative session with little emphasis on strength and endurance. Other days I have a much more vigorous session. I take at least 1 day off from yoga a week.
I find that sessions at night are fantastic, even if only 20 minutes. Shavasana has become terrific and I am truly able to let go of the stresses of the day and I get a terrific nights sleep.
Once a week I pop in one of my yoga DVDs to review instruction and practice on various poses etc.
I have run into some problems. After experiencing a significant improvement in flexibility, I went too deep into a seated forward bend and must have pulled something - oops! Shoulda known better! So now I am contending with some tenderness in the lower back and am being very gentle now and careful with asanas that affect the lower back while it heals.
Anyway - I wanted to find out what other folks were doing with their home practices. I would like to learn from you too.
If there is another discussion underway - please link me to it. I didn't find such a discussion doing a basic search.
Thanks!
Audrey |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | I have been doing yoga for a few years(on and off though, until recently), and I have yet to take a live yoga class. I started practicing witht the Yoga Zone series that was on TV every morning, and progressed into video workouts that were a little more strenuous (Bryan Kest"s power yoga, Rodney Yee's power yoga etc.) I haven't yet been able to practice without the aid of a video. Are you able to do that? I seem to lose my focus. I would like to start taking classes though. There are some poses I would like to move into, but I'd feel more comfortable with the aid of an instructor.
Samantha |
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| Samantha, my opinion is for you to find a real teacher as soon as you can., Its so much different than you practice yoga with books and videos (BTW I have never tried videos) . When you find a good teacher, you will feel the difference.
Edited by Thushara 2005-01-25 10:37 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | I know  I've been looking for one lately. I can't seem to find a studio that offers what I want. I'm probably just going to start taking classes indifferent places until one feels like the right fit. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
 
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Hi Samantha,
I started at a studio, attended a workshop then practiced for a few months at the studio. After learning the Bikram method WELL and reading the book, listening to the instruction from Bikram himself..I practice at home and love it!!! My house is so much nicer and I don't have to listen to talking while I'm trying to concentrate on the asana. I live in the mountains and the countryside and we don't have a very good selection of yoga here and what there is, is very limited. I think it helps deepen your practice and helps you become independent. Instead of using a video, since I know the routine, I sometimes pop in Bikram's audio tape or my teacher's audio (depending on who's voice I feel like listening to that day) and do the routine that way. A video is so hard to learn yoga to and your not getting the teacher student connection that is needed for doing the asana's. A good teacher can look at your body and tell you what is good for you. I think that is important for alignment (which I'm still learning about the definition of) and basically having the proper verbal instruction designed for you personally. I still attend the studio from time to time to see how I'm doing and so far, I'm happy. So, go for it at home and enjoy the flexibility.  |
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| Home Practice meaning practicing when you are alone, without possibly a group or instruction, is the Real Yoga Practice. The later is called a Class. Home Practice is the one which gives you experential knowledge called as Vijnanam and the Class is what gives you informative knowledge called as Jnanam. When Jnanam is too much compared to Vijnanam, then there is Stress. When Vijnanam is too small and jnanam doors are closed, that is called as Fanaticism. A good combination of both of these lead one to climbing the ladder of Yoga.
Neel Kulkarni
www.authenticyoga.org |
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| I teach, and I find my personal practice is essential in both keeping myself feeling good and in making my classes more valuable to my students. I love Erich Schiffman's book too! His guidelines for a personal practice are some of the best I've ever read/heard.
I say "personal practice" rather than "home practice" because I enjoy getting into my yoga at the gym after a workout. My home is very distracting! I have 3 dogs and 6 cats, all of whom think it is great fun to have me lying on the floor (or even better, trying to balance). Anyone else have this sort of thing going on? How do you work around it?
Jean |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | I only have one cat, but he is fascinated by yoga. When he was a kitten, he used to sit on what ever part of my body he was able to, and then he would shift when ever I moved into a new pose. Now he likes to attack. He seems to notice when I am balancing, and picks that moment to strike  . He especially like when I do shavasana. Then he can pounce out of no where and scare the bejesus out of me! He's not so bad that I have to close the door to a room though. I kind of enjoy his little interruptions. Three dogs and and six cats are alot more than I have to go through! I do have an area set up in the basement of my house with a TV and VCR. When I want to workout, or do yoga without interruptions, I go down there and shut the door.
Samantha |
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| Doesn't your kitty scratch on the door and make a big fuss? Mine go bonkers when they see a closed door! It's easier just to let them sit on me.
One evening I was doing some poses on the floor in the living room, and my dog came down and parked herself right next to my ear (I was lying down). She had just eaten dinner and I could hear her belly gurgling! That really gave me the giggles!!  |
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| Ooh, more cat people! Cats and yoga seem to go hand in hand around here....
I'm so glad to hear that your cat attacks you too, Samantha! Not because he attacks, of course, but it means that perhaps my freaky little furball is in fact a bit normal! Balancing poses are definitely a challenge - he likes to crawl under me during crow - so far I haven't fallen on him. He definitely likes to show off when I'm doing up or down down - he'll imitate me and then cast a bored look in my direction reminding me just how far I have to go in those poses. But his favorite has to be svasana as well - he sets himself right down on my chest, curls his little paws under like a loaf of bread, and then STARES at my face the entire time. A bit creepy, but it definitely gets a laugh every time. |
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| I made a tactical error at my house. Changed all the doorknobs to a lever type--now my wife's and daughter's cats actually leap up and open the doors on their own--who knew they'd figure that out? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | When my cat realizes he isn't going to get what he wants (to attack me when I'm doing yoga!) He runs off and sulks. When I'm done I have to sweet talk him to get his forgiveness. Have you ever tried distracting them with a toy or treats and then closing the door while they're distracted? If I feed my cat and go downstairs right after, he sometimes doesn't even notice. |
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| They're smarter than you think, Bruce! The back door that lets out onto my porch has a twisty lock about 18" high, and then the doorknob at normal height. One day I heard a commotion in the kitchen, and what do you know, the cat was standing on his litterbox which is right by that door - he was pawing at the bottom part and then using both paws on the doorknob!!! He can't actually do anything with it, but it's still adorable...My ex got locked out one day (yes, on his own) and said he heard the cat jumping up and down and pawing at the doorknob on the front door to try and open it for him. How freakin' cute is that? |
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| About 6 years ago I got very sick (like, trip to the emergency room sick). While my boyfriend, now my husband, was trying to help me in the bathroom, he locked the cats out because they were all over me. One of them began trying to reach the doorknob and let himself in . . . when he couldn't reach, he started from further back and took running jumps - leaping at the doorknob and bouncing off the door every time.
That cat was so amazing . . . he would always know when I was upset. Even when I was just watching a sad movie, I'd suddenly find him sitting in front of me and putting his paw on my knee, like "Don't cry, mama!"
They are such wonderful creatures! Plus we can all learn a lot about stretching just by watching them! |
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| "Home Practice meaning practicing when you are alone, without possibly a group or instruction, is the Real Yoga Practice."
I like that a lot. When I did yoga 2yrs ago, I loved practicing at home - but it was summer then, it was almost like the bikram class to be outside in the daytime (except for the mosquitos). Can't wait for summer!!
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| "When you find a good teacher, you will feel the difference."
I can tell this is true, and I've only ever had 4 teachers, including the one I had today. They have all been very encouraging, but so different! The one tonight was positively on valium or something compared to the others, she was so calm - it was great. I loved her (even tho, or maybe especially because? she came over twice to fix my hands in the eagle pose). Got all twisted up the wrong way I guess. Most of the time, she didn't get off the stand, and the teachers almost never do. And do they ever show you how to do the postures? It's hard to figure out what you're supposed to be doing and what it's supposed to look like when they're only talking all the time: left hand over that, left leg pointed there, right hand across that, elbow behind that, leg pointed there, feet there, shoulders there - it seems so much simpler if they'd just stop and demonstrate.
Then I asked if they had a schedule for the teachers, and they don't - they rotate between shifts and studio locations. How can you get a particular teacher that way? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | I think mine gets a little mad when I do yoga, because it means my attention is not focused on him, which is why he attacks! I like it though. It's like we're doing yoga together |
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| Samantha - yes, I do most of my practice without following a video.
Paying attention to my breathing helps me keep focused. Sometimes I put on some appropriate music and that also helps.
At first I just memorized some of the sequences we did in our classes, and then repeated them on my own at home. As I gained confidence, I started adding some things in and combining variations of my own. Following Schiffmann's excellent advice I try to "listen" for what my body needs that day.
Videos and classes demonstrate sequencing (but they don't explain it!). Pay attention to how one type of pose is followed by another: How sun worship is followed by standing poses followed in turn by floor work, and then final relaxation, etc. Observe how a back bend is usually followed by a forward bend, how a strenuous set of asanas are usually followed by a restful one.
But I also do one day a week with one of my videos as a "refresher" and to review certain poses.
At some point I intend to return to a live class now and then to get personal instruction. Right now, after 1 1/2 years of classes, I feel like the occasional videos are enough.
Audrey
Edited by audreyh1 2005-01-28 7:57 PM
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| Wow - what delightful kitty stories!! My much beloved cat died two years ago at the great age of 20. I can only imagine what she would do during my yoga practice. She never allowed a closed door in the house, and I am sure she would have pestered me the whole time unless she was having one of her naps.
Thanks for reminding me of her!
Audrey
P.S. We don't currently have pets because we travel a lot. |
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| What perfect timing - my husband snapped this picture tonight of one of my cats *helping* my concentration during some sun salutations!
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| LOL! How cute is that! Thanks for sharing.
Audrey |
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| kulkarnn - 2005-01-27 9:53 AM
Home Practice meaning practicing when you are alone, without possibly a group or instruction, is the Real Yoga Practice. The later is called a Class. Home Practice is the one which gives you experential knowledge called as Vijnanam and the Class is what gives you informative knowledge called as Jnanam. When Jnanam is too much compared to Vijnanam, then there is Stress. When Vijnanam is too small and jnanam doors are closed, that is called as Fanaticism. A good combination of both of these lead one to climbing the ladder of Yoga.
Neel Kulkarni
www.authenticyoga.org
I really like the reference to "climbing the ladder of Yoga". I've been getting glimpses of Yoga as a "path" or spiral - of going through different stages of refinement and experience.
Audrey |
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| That picture is hysterical! How nice of the little furball to help you so much! Mine is more of the stick his tail in my face when I'm in down dog. He was extremely well-behaved tonight while I practiced - only bit once - but this picture is a perfect example of his usual state of mind!
We call it his "paparazzi shot"...
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Developing a home practice?
