Yoga at Home with Laura, Self-taught Yogi!

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: Thoughts on Yoga Mats - Part 2

 A few days ago, I visited my mother and stayed overnight at her house.  I didn't bring a yoga mat (I own three) because I recalled she had an exercise mat tucked away underneath my childhood bed.  After using that exercise mat which was not designed for yoga but for other types of stetches and perhaps calisthentics, I definitely realized you actually do need a yoga mat for your yoga practice. My mother's mat is made of urethane foam and while it provides cushioning, it doesn't help you avoid slipping and sliding when you do certain poses!

Fortunately, nowadays, outfitting your home studio with the right type of yoga mat is very easy.  The myriad types of yoga mats of all colors and designs and materials that you can choose from is almost dizzying. All you have to do is flip through magazines such as Yoga Journal, search online or get catalogs from companies such as Gaiam or Barefoot Yoga. 

Most yoga mats are rectangular (although you can also find some newer circular yoga mats that are 4 to 8 feet in diameter and designed to allower freer and more fluid range of movements - at least for certain poses) and most range in length from 68 inches to 75 inches.  I am a "shortie" and so the standard 68 inch mat suits me fine, but if you are tall, be sure to buy a long enough mat.  Most yoga mats range in thickness from 1/16 inch to 1/4 inch.  The thicker mats clearly provide more cushioning, but also are heavier and bulkier to roll up.

I bought my first yoga mat about 4 years ago when I took a yoga class at my Federal agency.  The young lady in charge of registering class participants bought a bunch of mats for us at Marshalls.  They only cost about $15.  The problem with inexpensive mats, however, is they are the least environmentally friendly because they are usually made from materials such as PVCs (don't know what that stands for) that initially emit unpleasant, toxic odors at least the first few times you use them.  I actually didn't have this problem with the Marshalls mat but I definitely noticed an unpleasant odor with another mat I bought from a catalog.  The next mat I buy will be made from thermal plastic elastomer which is more environmentally friendly and recyclable or I will buy one made from natural latex or organic natural latex.  Yoga mats can range in price from the $15 inexpensive type to over $100 depending on the material.  I think your standard mat will run you between $30-$60.

You can also buy "mini" yoga mats - that is, grippy yoga "toe sox" to put on your feet and yoga "paws" for your hands that reportedly allow you to practice on any surface.  However, in my view, they don't offer cushioning which is most important to me for those supine poses.  In short, although I did yoga for years without a mat, I have learned that a yoga mat enhances your practice and provides your body with protection.  Invest in one for your home studio.

Laura's corny Wisdom of the Day: ~"Your yoga mat is where it's at!"

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: Thoughts about Yoga Mats - Part 1

 For years, I practiced yoga without a mat. I usually did my poses on a carpet in the living room or my bedroom and I would spread out a towel for the face down poses such as the child pose you see here.  Like DVDs and videos and podcasts, "yoga" mats were not readily available then.  Other mats yes, but not the kind that abound in yoga marketplace now.  The back cover of my first yoga book, Yoga for Beauty and Health, by Eugene Rawls and Eve Diskin,  shows a yoga class of women doing the cobra.  Most are stretched out on beach towels.  Only a handful are using some rather funky looking mats!

In my opinion, a yoga mat serves three key purposes:  1) to avoid slipping as you stretch; 2) to cushion your body parts (especially neck, back, knees, ankles, and wrists) as you hold certain poses; and 3) to provide a clean barrier between your face and the rest of your body when you are holding a pose face down.  Outfitting your home yoga studio or spot with a yoga mat can definitely enhance your practice.  The next posting will provide some pointers on what to consider when you invest in a yoga mat.

Wisdom of the Day:  The yoga mat is a good place to turn when talk therapy and antidepressants aren't enough.  ~Amy Weintraub

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: Nature Sounds During Practice

The old cliche, "different strokes for different folks" applies to your practice of hatha yoga and what may enhance it.  Some people advocate practicing in silence for maximum focus; others like me alternate between silence, classical music, "soundscape" music (a mixture of ambient music and new agey type of music and contemplative music), and something I had not mentioned in earlier postings, nature sounds.

With the onset of cold weather the past few days here in the Washington, DC area and greeted this morning by a temperature of under 30 degrees, I decided that my outdoor exposure time today would be minimal. 

I  therefore dug up one of my old environmental sounds cassette tapes (I still have hung on to those...even though I primarily use my ipod these days) that I used during my brief stint as a hypnotherapist back in 1997.  I chose the "country streams" one, cranked it up and reveled in imagining that it was summer and I was out in the country doing yoga by a stream.  It definitely helped compensate for the frigid weather outside and I had a delightfully relaxing and energizing yoga session.

You may wish to consider investing in an environmental CD or MP3 file for your home yoga studio.  A large selection of such CDs along with yoga music too can be found for $6.95 to $13.95 at http://www.serenitysupply.com/catalog/Nature-Sounds-4-1.html.  You can choose from a vast array of nature sounds that include ocean surf, peaceful forest, thunderstorm, and tropical jungle.  It's just another way of keeping your practice fresh!

Wisdom of the Day:  "Adopt the pace of nature:  her secret is patience." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: Safe Candles for the Home Studio

I like to share new tools that I come across to enhance your home yoga practice.  Today, I did some routine shopping at Costco in Greenbelt, MD.  As I strolled down the aisles I came across a unique item I had never seen.  Battery operated candles!  And vanilla scented no less!

Earlier today during my yoga session I had lighted a candle as part of dedicating the session to my family member.  The candle didn't shine too brightly and when I finished my practice I rolled up my mat and changed into my church clothes.  Well, I  ALMOST (note almost...) forgot to blow out that candle!  It's only because I came back downstairs to my yoga spot to pick up something that I realized that I had forgotten to blow out the candle!  Not too smart or too safe!

Seeing this, I thought to myself, "No more lighting of candles for yoga practice!"  Can't take a chance burning down the house (remember that Talking Heads song...)!  Well, to my surprise the solution appeared today in Costco with those AA battery operated candles from Costco!  For $16.99 I got three almond colored, vanilla scented candles that flicker like real candles without the fuss or muss of dripping wax or the danger of accidentally leaving them unattended and risking a fire! 

They provide a wonderful, aromatic, safe ambiance and enhancement for your yoga practice in  your home studio!  I am grateful for this innovative technology!  Maybe they've been around for years but they were new for me.  I have already enjoyed them and will flip their switch to "on" during my yoga practice tomorrow morning.

Wisdom/Quotation of the Day:  "Candles can add spirituality to your yoga practice...The soft, warm glow of candlelight can be the key to a contemplative sanctuary."~ From www.yoga-insight.com/meditation-tools/candles.aspx.

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: The Studio that Never Closes!

Last week, one of my college classmates who lives in California, read this yoga blog for the first time.  She hadn't realized that I practice yoga daily.  By e-mail she shared that several years ago she had greatly enjoyed a Birkrim yoga class near her home.  Unfortunately, however, the studio closed. Sadly, she admitted, since that time she hasn't enjoyed any more yoga.  I guess she couldn't find any other suitable classes.

Well, there is a yoga studio that NEVER closes.  It's your home!  Your home yoga studio is open 24/7 and is accessible to you whenever you want.  Granted, if you have an active family life or roommates, you may not be able to practice at any given moment. BUT, you must admit, your home yoga studio essentially never closes.  If you learn yoga on your own or even in a class, doesn't it make sense to maintain a home practice?  It's one of the best ways to stay consistent and to enjoy yoga forever.

Wisdom of the Day:  "Home practice is really the foundation of how we grow and improve in our yoga."~ John Friend

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: Your Home Yoga Space

I love doing my yoga practice at home for myriad reasons.  A key advantage in these days of escalating gas prices is that I don't have to drive anywhere and rack up my weekly gasoline bill.  I simply walk downstairs to my lower level family room, roll out my mat and stretch.  I have complete freedom to practice whenever I choose.  My dedicated yoga space is always there awaiting me. Currently, I practice in my lower-level family room which has the most floor space in the house. 

Creating a personal space for your yoga practice helps to strengthen your commitment to a daily practice.  The spaces in which people who do yoga at home vary widely from using an extra bedroom to carving out a quiet corner of a room to a studio space built just for yoga practice.   Practicing regularly in a dedicated space in your home also allows you to cultivate a clear, peaceful yoga mindset that is triggered whenever you touch down on your mat.  I believe the most important elements of your home yoga space are having few or no visual distrations, moderate temperature - neither too hot or cold- and sufficient space so you can move your entire body freely.  You can enhance your space by decorating it with candles, flowers, and soothing prints.  Finally, visualizing yourself to be in a tranquil spot - near a mountain or by the ocean (I often bring to mind a beautiful mountain and ocean view from a wonderful trip more than 20 years ago to the beautiful isle of Martinque) as you enter your dedicated space can help keep your practice fresh.

Yoga Quotation of the Day:  "If you have a yoga room, you'll use it, and the beautiful thing is that all you really need is a floor."  Sandy Lawrence - Yoga Teacher

Simply Savvy Steps for Yoga Success: Do You Need Props?

Yoga in the United States has really evolved since I began learning it as a high school student.  Yoga "props" such as yoga wedges, blocks, balls, bands, and straps just didn't exist then or at least not in great quantity. Just open a yoga products catalog these days and you can select from numerous colorful and sometimes pricey props.  Yoga props were developed by yoga teachers such as B.K. Iyengar, who noticed the challenges that yoga novices have in achieving certain postures.  Starting out with limited flexibility can be discouraging. If you feel that using yoga props will motivate you to keep maintain a daily practice - all the power to you then!  They are promoted as adding versatility to your yoga practice and enhancing support and length for different poses. In my opinion, however, they are not essential.   The only investment I have made in my yoga practice is a good yoga mat and comfortable clothing.  And,  yes, I also a yoga eye pad for days I feel I need to enhance the relaxation pose that concludes my yoga sessions.  As I have shared in earlier posts, consistent practice aimed at progressing incrementally and gradually is a principal key to mastering gentle hatha yoga.  I have never used props (and I am probably too uncoordinated to do so properly!) because I just relied on gravity to gradually help elongate and stretch the muscles needed to master certain poses.  And, I have to admit, I still can't do all poses all the time, particularly when I first wake up and my body is still shaking off its sleepiness.  (Although yoga is a wonderful way to wake up!)  As clearly laid out in one of the first yoga books I ever bought, as you continue your practice, your body will stretch and ease its way naturally into the poses.  A year ago when I re-started the backward hand clasp, I experienced some discomfort and my two hands could not connect behind my back on my left side.  I wondered if I could every achieve that connection.  Sure enough, within about 6 weeks, I did!  Now, if I don't really think about it, I forget which side I had difficulty with.  In yoga, consistent practice over time plus gravity are your allies along with attention to proper form.  Do you need props?  Not really.   I like to keep things as simple as possible. But, use whatever you need to keep your practice consistent.

Yoga Quote of the Day:  "Be relaxed always with yoga."  Eugene Rawls & Eve Diskin

Simple Savvy Steps for Yoga Success: Creating Your Home Yoga Studio

Most of the people I know who currently practice yoga, participate in weekly or bi-weekly classes.  None of my close friends who do yoga practice at home, at least not regularly.  I frankly, have never understood this!  My friends tell me that it takes too much self-discipline to get up and do it at home.  "Too many distractions," they say.  Besides, they like the camaraderie that group lessons offer. 

Logical explanations - I would not dispute such reasoning per se.  However, for me, it requires much more effort to get up and go to a class.  Besides, I have found the early morning is the best time for me, at least during the workweek, to fit in yoga practice. Distractions are minimal -family members are still sleeping.  No one has every called or knocked on my door at 5 a.m. No one says, let's go for lunch or happy hour.

One way you can boost your motivation to do yoga at home is to create your own mini home yoga studio.  If you have a spare room, all the better.  But, if not, you can at least carve out a space in a room for your personal yoga studio.  Buy a good yoga mat - preferably one that is extra thick, if you have hard floors.  I just ordered a new mat that is 1/4" thick rather than the typical 1/8" thick.  Light a few candles (scented or not) at the beginning of your yoga practice.  Hang some inspirational posters or artwork on the walls near your practice space.  Play soft background music.  Test what works for you. 

Sometimes I practice in silence.  Other times I practice with light classical or "sound-scape," new age music.  I play it by ear. I have tried some CDs supposedly designed for yoga practice that I found highly annoying and distracting.  Discover what motivates and inspires you to consistently engage in your practice. 

You may need none of these accoutrements.  And, you don't have have to invest in high priced yoga attire either to do your yoga poses.  But, do what makes you feel good and juices your motivation.  I personally think you will find it easier to practice yoga daily if you make it special in some way.  Creating your own mini home yoga studio can help!

Yoga quote of the day:  Anyone who practices can obtain success in yoga but not one who is lazy.  Constant practice alone is the secret of success.  ~Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika