9 ways in which home practice breaks the shala routine and adds fun to life

When I first started practicing I would have never dreamed of practicing alone at home because I craved the direction/attention of a teacher, but after years of practicing primary series and developing an intimate practice, the final test arrived.

I have been practicing 3 times a week in the shala and 3 times at week at home, the reasons why are not important, all that matters is that is happening.

At first I was apprehensive as I thought I would, for example, end up wanting to skip poses or to rush, but none of that has happened and I am beginning to settle in.  What I did not anticipate is the level of freedom, creativity and fun that can burst in throughout self practice, as in:

2- Trying new things
I have been playing with Pasasana and krounchasana and then even my own version of what I can do before I back bend.  In Thailand we had a whole conversation one afternoon about how primary is not focused on back bends enough, and there was even an attempted hypothesis among a few students that nobody was really meant to practice the primary series alone but rather mix series.  True? Who knows? but what I do know is that practicing some back bending whether from the intermediate series or from what I remember from Iyengar classes helps with the opening.

3- Repeating poses
I have never been a fan of this one, but being at home invites it.  I have tried repeating the core poses (buja, kurma, garba, bada) once or twice (not all at once), with the result of going much deeper.  Repeating Kurmasana (turtle-pose) for example is an enterprise, but proves very beneficial.  Since I started practicing solo and with the addition of John’s tip on “almost forced exhalation”, my back and legs has began to straighten.

4-Using props
Oh the forbidden props!, they can be delicious sometimes. I use mostly the walls on the room, (switch between them) so I also get to walk and release tension.  I use the meditation cushion for pasasana and the bed to dropback at the end.  I do not own a bolster but sometimes I feel like one in savasana. Maybe something to keep in mind for some upcoming holiday.

5- Playing movie star

6- Breaking into dance
Perhaps this is one of those “too much information”, but I have found that sometimes I am so happy after a back bend that I just feel like dancing, and the good thing is that being alone allows me the opportunity to do so.  Actually is not so much a dance as in an innate need my body seems to express in moving in a certain way, which could resemble a dance, but it mostly happens on the floor.

7- Pretending to be in Third series
Hey, why not, once in a while I play around and include hanumanasana into the series. Including poses from other series is one of those big no-nos, but I am doing it carefully and it gives me such satisfaction to be able to do something I never thought I would do, it helps my subconscious by sending an “I can do anything” message, “yes I can”.

8-Having the best savasana ever
Savasana has to be the best part of practicing at home.  I can prop myself with blinds down, an eye cover, and a blanket.  I get to regulate the temperature and even the amount of softness under my body (mat or bed?), although I prefer the mat all the time.  Then there is the silence and the sound of the birds and the ocassional train, it makes for a wonderful setting.  The first couple of times I was more awake than ever, I was able to slow my breath to almost an inperceptible level, and to pray in a very connected state of mind.

9 – Meditation and Pranayama
Having the possibility to do pranayama practice and meditation without moving to another room or setting, right after savasana has proven delightful, the smoothness of the breath after the almost 2 hour practice is a wonder for the breathing exercises, and the back being so strong and straight results in comfortable meditations, which, although not completely pain free yet, seem to benefit greatly.

Where do you find joy in your home practice?