Dru-Yoga Book - Stillness in Motion
One of the most frequent questions we get asked at classes is “My back feels so much better (or I feel so calm and relaxed, or I always sleep so well…) after yoga that I want to keep that feeling for longer – what can I do at home?”
This is then usually followed up with “I’d love to do some yoga between classes but I just can’t think what to do.”
I am always really pleased when I get asked this. I’m glad that you are noticing the benefits of coming to yoga class and I’m thrilled that you want to practice at home – and that is one of the main reasons why I blog, to try to encourage you all to do some yoga between classes.
You know how you feel when you’ve finished a class? Energised yet relaxed and calm, you sleep better, your joints feel looser, your back happier – well, by doing some home practice you could maintain that feeling for longer. What’s more, the more yoga you do the more benefit it will have. Results are intensified, goals reached quicker and the best thing is that it is the continuity that is the really important bit.
In other words, you don’t need to do an hour’s session every day to reap the benefits, just 10 minutes a day will help you maintain your equilibrium.
But what to practice?
Grab a pen and paper and write down all the reasons why you come to Dru yoga class, what benefits do you get or feel? I’ve already mentioned some above and I’m sure you have many more to add.
Now write down anything that you would like to work on eg. do you feel you need to work on strengthening your core, have you a stressful time coming up and you want to stay calm and focussed, or perhaps you’re getting over a cold and want to boost your immune system? So already you are starting to get a feel for the type of yoga postures or sequences you want to be doing and your reason for doing them.
With this information in mind, have a think about the postures, sequences etc. that we do in class – which do you like, which help you feel the benefits you’ve written down?
So now you have a choice!
Take a pen and pad to class, tell your tutor what you want to focus on at home and they can advise you of some simple yoga that you can do at home and we can add it into the session so that you can be sure you are getting it right. Also listen out to the information given in class – at Inside Out we are very practical and results driven! We share techniques with you that we know work and we let you know the benefits of each posture, so pick out something that meets your needs then try it everyday.
Use the information I share with you in my blogs or on the downloads.
We sell fabulous yoga books, CD’s and DVD’s, all designed to help you practice at home. We only sell Dru yoga products, so you can be sure that the movements will be familiar and safe. Ask us to help you find which best suits your needs.
And for those who come to a regular class, try my favourite way to practice at home – work intuitively. Start by standing in Tadasana (the mountain pose – which is how we get you stand at the start of all our standing posture, so you should be familiar with this), close your eyes and take time to settle, focussing on your breath. Now as you stand there you’ll probably find you just know intuitively what to do next, you might even be able to hear the words of your tutor, and I bet you just move naturally into the yoga you need to do. Ask yourself, do I need to stretch upwards or sideways? Do I need a balance, do I want to twist or do I just need to be still? Listen to yourself, you have all the answers within.
Why not start a regular practice this Easter?
You might have a bit of extra free time to discover what you want to practice, the days are longer and hopefully warmer, so the temptation to stay in bed is not quite so strong and spring is a great motivator.
Give yourself the wonderfully unselfish gift of 15 minutes a day to practice a little bit of yoga, everyday for a week and note how you feel, and focus on those benefits to keep you going. Whenever my practice slips a little (I’m human too and like my bed!!) I remind myself of why I love my yoga, what the benefits are to me and I then commit to a specific practice for a period of time and I soon find the motivation I need to get me out of bed.
I hope this blog has given you some inspiration to practice Dru Yoga at home – I promise it will be worth it. If you need any ideas, as always, give me a shout. Hope you have good Easter breaks and see you all soon. Ix