Group practice - the bridge

yoginimary

In the style of yoga I practice, home practice is given a very high priority.

Many people have a difficult time starting a home practice - it's boring, they don't know what to do, which pose follows, etc. The home practice I'm talking about is not following a video type of home practice, which is totally fine, but a no distractions, just you, your breath, and your mat, type of practice.

So in comes group practice - a bridge between the classroom and the by yourself practice. All you do, is come up with a sequence (you can find these on the internet) and get a group of people together and practice the sequence. The other people in the room help you try harder and stay more motivated. You don't even have to have a sequence, although it does help. You can bounce ideas off each other and assist each other in more difficult poses. It's also a great way to start a yoga community.

I encourage you to try a group practice - either make one of your own or join one if your studio offers it.

southernyogini

I practice at home 5-6 days a week; Ashtanga primary series and try to get the studio 1-2 days a week for mysore/self practice. I really love the primary series sequence.

odonogc

You know what's funny, in the yogaglo classes I do, I've done so many classes with the same instructors, that I recognize a lot of the regulars! And I even know some of their names, since the teachers will say them now and again.

yogibella

It's true, home practice doesn't really seem to come to me, but I think it's a combination of environment, mental block & perhaps self-discipline lol. Would love to spend more time in the studio or try a group practice or an Ashtanga mysore led practice. For those that practice at home, do you guys carve out a particular spot in your home for your yoga mat? How do you make it work?

I too really love the Ashtanga primary series because I don't really have to think about what's going to come next. Or go to my favourite teacher's classes and I can almost instinctively tell what's coming next in the flow so I'm not looking up & can just concentrate on my mat. But it's true Mary, I'd love to be able to come up with my own sequences and practice for what I need that day, without always following someone or something.

yoginimary

So if you can almost know what is going to come next...I think you could figure out your own practice But you could always do the primary series or another sequence that you look up online.

I have a huge space for my yoga practice. My husband also practices yoga, and sometimes we do it together. We considered dedicating a spare bedroom for the yoga/mediation room, but I really like practicing looking out at the back yard. I now leave my mat out on the floor to remind me to do my pranayama practice. The blankets I have to put away or they will be full of cat hair.

One of my teachers built a studio as a second story to her house - it's absolutely spectacular! It has huge windows, a rope wall, and it's own bathroom. I did a group practice there on Wednesday, which inspired me to write this post. We worked toward Natarajasana, which isn't something I would normally do on my own.

So I just googled Natarajasana sequence, here's what I got:
Only 10 poses, but a start:
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/a-heart-opening-sequence-for-natarajasana-king-dancer-pose
Here's a better sequence, no pictures though - there are a few poses I have no idea what they are (twisted monkey?, does that mean hanumanasana with a twist?):
http://brigette108.blogspot.com/2012/07/natarajasana.html

So you could look up any challenge pose, or pose you want to work on, and go from there.
Oh, and our Friday practice group usually posts the sequences we do online. Here's what we are doing tomorrow:
http://iyengaryogainaustin.blogspot.com/

yogibella

thanks Mary! lucky you, would love a dedicated space/room for a home practice. rolling out my mat on the carpeted living room floor just is uninspiring to me lol. I should just get over it tho. I'd be curious to know what the twisted monkey pose is too!