From Couch to Lotus: 7 Proven Hacks on How to Start a Home Yoga Practice

Welcome back, beautiful warrior. Today we will be looking at 7 proven hacks on how to start a home yoga practice. Yes, that is right, no more waiting for the perfect moment, say goodbye to procrastination, together we will make your home yoga practice happen.

Get ready to roll out your yoga mat, enjoy the read and happy flowing.

If you know me, you also know that I always recommend doing both: practicing yoga at the studio and having an established home yoga practice at the same time.

Personally, I think that this is the perfect combination of practicing yoga no matter if you are a beginner or an advanced practitioner.

By combining both ways you get the community feeling in the yoga studio when attending yoga classes there, you can talk to your fellow yogis about your yoga practice and you can clarify with your yoga teacher about certain yoga poses or yoga sequences that you are looking to improve or dive deeper into.

And in addition to this, you then have your self-study time whenever you practice yoga at home.

But saying that, I also appreciate the fact that we are all different and that we all have different schedules and what feels right to me might not necessarily be the right thing for you.

What matters most is that you pick what works best for you and your lifestyle. And whether this is a combination of studio and home yoga practice or solely a home yoga practice, is totally up to you.

Whatever you decide though, make sure that your yoga practice does not just become another item on your to-do list. Allow your yoga practice to be fun, and give yourself some room to explore and play when you are on the mat. Your yoga practice should be inspiring to you and bring new perspectives to your life every time you step on the mat.

But back to the question how do you start doing yoga at home?

Well, you came to the right place my warrior friend. Today, I invite you to stop procrastinating and come with me on this journey on how to start a home yoga practice. Together we will make it happen and it will be easier than you think.

Below are 7 proven hacks on how to start a home yoga practice and after looking at these 7 easy-to-follow tips, doing yoga at home will be a new healthy habit of yours very soon.

How to start a home yoga practice

How to start a home yoga practice – yoga equipment

First things first: what do you need for your home yoga practice?

All you need to get started is a yoga mat, some comfortable clothes, and a screen e.g. laptop, iPad, TV screen, etc.

Yes, that is it. Are you all sorted?

Perfect, then let’s look at the 7 proven hacks on how to start a home yoga practice.

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How to start a home yoga practice #1: Set a time

Check your weekly schedule and set a time for your home yoga practice. Make sure to block the time in your diary. Commit to this time and avoid shuffling the time around during the week.

How much time you spend on your home yoga practice, is totally up to you. This can be 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, etc. It really depends on your schedule and how much time you would like to allow for your home yoga practice.

But, be honest with yourself and be reasonable when looking at your schedule and work out how much time you can make without feeling stressed about fitting your home yoga practice into your weekly schedule.

There is no judgment, you do what is right for you and I can assure you that already five minutes of yoga in the morning can make a huge difference to the rest of your day.

And yes, it’s ok to start small, you can always add more time to your home yoga practice later on or schedule a second home practice session for later in the week.

Keep in mind that once a week already counts as a regular practice.

What matters most is that you keep showing up for yourself.

How to start a home yoga practice #2: Consistency

We, humans, are creatures of habit. Use consistency to your advantage when establishing your home yoga practice.

Meaning, if you, for example, pick Tuesdays, 7:30 am – 8:00 am for your home yoga practice, stick to the same day and the same time every week moving forward.

Creating a habit takes time, but consistency is key when it comes to creating a new habit.

Just imagine, if you keep doing something consistently, over time it becomes more and more ingrained into your daily habits and at some point, you don’t even have to think about it anymore, it naturally became part of your daily routine.

How to start a home yoga practice #3: Set your intention

Behind every action that we take is an intention.

Knowing and understanding ‘why’ you do something or want something will help you to keep showing up for yourself and support you along the journey of making your home yoga practice happen.

Your ‘why’ is your personal, emotional motivation. It could be for example that you are looking to increase your fitness levels, improve your flexibility, feel more confident within your skin, or maybe you are looking to strengthen your body to release physical pain, etc.

Take a moment and ask yourself:

• Why do you want to start a regular home yoga practice?
• What is your biggest motivation for starting a regular home yoga practice?
• What is your goal with this home yoga practice?
• What are you hoping to change by starting a regular home yoga practice?
• How different would your life be if you had a regular home yoga practice in place?
• How different would you feel if you had a regular home yoga practice in place?
• What do you think will be the biggest challenges for you to start a regular home yoga practice?
• Looking at your biggest challenges what do you need to do in order to overcome them?

You can also make this a journal exercise. Take your time with this and get very clear about your ‘why’.

The clearer you are about your ‘why’, the easier it will be for you to make a regular home yoga practice happen.

How to start a home yoga practice #4: Find a space in your home

Having a dedicated home yoga space is a beautiful way to honor yourself as well as your yoga practice.

If you have a space where you can leave your yoga mat unrolled amazing, but that is not necessary to start a regular home yoga practice, you can also consider a pop-up yoga space.

Take a look around your house/flat/apartment, etc., and find a space that feels peaceful and quiet to you.

This could be next to a big window, for example, the natural light will be amazing.

Or if you live in a climate that allows you to practice outside, maybe you can use your garden or balcony? Or maybe you find space in your living room, etc.

Be open to all the options that come up and see which spot feels best to you.

Whichever spot you pick, make sure that you have enough space around you so that you can move freely and don’t have to worry about knocking things over when you flow through your yoga poses.

Once you found your spot, close your eyes and visualize yourself practicing in this space. If you can see yourself practicing in this space, look no further, you found your spot for your home yoga practice.

Once you found your space, stick with it. If the space allows, leave your yoga mat unrolled, this way you have a constant reminder for your home yoga practice.

In addition to this, consider decorating the space and giving it a little bit of a zen feeling. Candles and incent sticks can be a great addition, maybe add some plants, a Buddha statue, some fairy lights, crystals, a few comfy pillows, a blanket, etc.

The pillows and the blanket can also be used as yoga props to support your home yoga practice.

Make sure to keep your space clean as this will avoid distractions during your home yoga practice and help you to quiet the mind.

How to start a home yoga practice #5: Find what flows for you

If you are an advanced yogi and confident to practice by yourself, let your creativity flow and enjoy the time on your mat.

If you are a beginner or looking for guided yoga flows, there are lots of free resources online.

Having too many choices can be overwhelming at times, but here is what I suggest: head over to YouTube, do a bit of research, and check out a few different teachers and yoga styles. Pick a teacher you resonate with and pick 3 – 5 yoga flows in advance and save them in your favorites.

Tip: Always come prepared to your mat. Pick the video ahead of your home yoga practice session. This way you can dive right into your practice and you won’t lose any time.

No need to have a different guided yoga video every time you come to your yoga mat. It is actually quite fun to stick with the same video a few times in a row. This way you are more likely to notice your progress which will boost your motivation and help you to keep up your regular home yoga practice moving forward.

Check out YouTube YOGATX. They have a variety of different yoga teachers and different yoga styles, you will find beginner yoga flows as well as advanced yoga flows and yes, all of these flows are completely free and available on demand.

Below I listed one of my guided online yoga flows with YOGATX. This is a short and sweet Full Body Morning Yoga Flow helping to energize your body and set yourself up for a productive and successful day ahead.

If you enjoyed this flow, I would love to see you back on the mat. You can find all my free online flows here.

How to start a home yoga practice #6: Make yourself a priority

For a lot of people, the idea of putting your own needs first seems selfish. But making yourself a priority is not selfish. 

Understand and accept that taking care of yourself is OK. It’s actually more than ok, it’s essential. 

Say ‘yes’ to yourself and allow yourself some quality time with yourself.

Nourish your body, nourish your mind, and nourish your soul.

And keep in mind, every minute you invest in yourself will pay off.

How to start a home yoga practice #7: Keep your yoga practice safe

Always make sure to keep your yoga practice safe.

Listen to your body, pay close attention to your body’s signals, and honor your personal limits.

Modify your yoga practice as needed to accommodate your personal needs and avoid pushing yourself into pain or discomfort.

Tip: If you are serious about establishing a regular home yoga practice, think about investing in some yoga props. Yoga props (or yoga accessories or yoga equipment) are super helpful for beginners. However, they are also great for advanced practitioners or practitioners with limited flexibility, and/or people who are recovering from injuries. Check out my blog post on the 5 Best Yoga Props For Your Home Yoga Practice.

How to start a home yoga practice – questionnaire

How should a beginner start yoga?

If you are completely new to yoga, you can still establish a home yoga practice, but I would really recommend you to do both: taking a regular beginner’s class at a yoga studio near to you and establishing a home yoga practice in parallel.

Especially as a yoga beginner, I think that it is important to learn the correct alignment in each yoga pose, and the best way to learn this is in the studio with a yoga teacher.

This will give you safety within your yoga practice and allow you a strong foundation for your yoga practice moving forward.

Make sure to check out my blog post What to Expect from Your First Yoga Class to dive deeper into how should a beginner start yoga.

How do I get into a daily yoga practice?

If you are looking to establish a daily yoga practice, I would recommend incorporating your daily yoga practice into your morning routine or evening routine.

Work out how much time you would like to dedicate to your daily yoga practice and include this time into your morning or evening routine.

In addition to this follow the 7 hacks above to help you establish your home yoga practice and consider creating a home yoga space.

Tip: Join my 3-Day Morning Yoga Challenge to help you get into a more regular habit.

What do I need to start yoga and what are the benefits of yoga?

As we established earlier on, all you need to start a home yoga practice is a yoga mat, some comfortable clothes, and a screen on which you can watch your guided yoga flows.

There are so many benefits that a regular yoga practice can bring e.g. improved flexibility and strength, reduced stress levels, better clarity and focus, improved sleep quality, increased energy levels, yoga can help to reduce anxiety and depression, etc.

There are many benefits of yoga, but I also have to say that we are all different and the benefits that yoga will bring to you are likely to be different from the benefits that yoga brings to someone else.

In addition to this, consistency is also important here as the more consistent you are with your yoga practice the more likely you are to feel the benefits of yoga.

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All right beautiful warrior, we are coming to an end for today. Hopefully, I answered all your questions about how to start a home yoga practice and you are feeling motivated and excited to start doing yoga at home.

However, should you have any further questions, or would like to leave me a comment, please do so in the comments section below this blog post. It’s always great to hear from you guys.

Below are a few more resources I believe you will enjoy as well, make sure to check them out:

• 11 Reasons Why You Should Start Yoga
• 3-Day Morning Yoga Challenge
• 7 Power-Packed Post-Yoga Snacks

Have a magical day and stay wild,

Nicolle

Featured image Photo by Ginny Rose Stewart on Unsplash