A few days back I got a letter from a friend. In my opinion she is a very committed and disciplined person. She accomplishes a lot. I had sent her a picture of myself doing a back bending asana. (Hahaha) She wrote that she misses her yoga classes. It seems impossible for her to practice alone at home.

One can give tips, but finally someone must find out by herself what makes it possible to do anything.

The reason why we do anything goes from ‘I have to’ (tax declaration) till ‘I desire to’ (yoga practice). One must find out how we can motivate ourselves.

The very first question is: Is an activity possible theoretically. Not everything is possible, but if the answer is yes, one can ask the second question: How is it possible.

Many yogini have shared tips and tricks already. They can be all useful. There is this individual part that one has to find out by oneself.

My general tips:

1. Go to bed early and get up early. The early morning is best to practice. Know the time when you want to roll out the yoga mat.

2. Even more important is to start the practice very slowly. I usually hang forward (see picture). I do nothing else but this. After a while I get bored and I start with the sun salutations. In the Sivananda classes the yogini started with lying on their back to relax first. It’s possible to give oneself a feet massage. One can chant ‘Ohhhmmmmm’. Be creative. Find something that is easy to do. This is then your beginning.

3. Limit the time. Set a timer at first for 15 minutes. Then go for 30 minutes. In the meantime I need 2 hours to do everything I want to do.

4. Starting the timer is a trigger for me. When the timer starts running the point of no return has come.

5. Know what you want to do. This is also one reason why I love Ashtanga Yoga. I practice one of the series. I don’t have to be a choreograph in the morning. People who go to vinyasa classes or to Jivamukti classes don’t learn fixed series. Every class is different. One week they focus on back bending, the other week on twists. This makes it difficult to practice at home. Have a plan, have a fixed series. From there you can alter your practice.

6. I love the CDs by the Jivamukti founders. It’s possible to practice along with a CD. Everything is allowed that helps.

7. Take it easy. Start slowly. Start with a short practice of 20 minutes. Get used to the new habit.

8. Appreciate your practice.

Traps:

1. Thoughts: Today I’m tired, I can also practice after a tiny breakfast. After breakfast other tasks are more important. After lunch the stomach is too full. Then I’m tired again. Then it’s evening. And so on.

2. Don’t discuss every day if you want to practice or not.

3. The imagination that from now on I’ll practice till the end of my life is too huge. Think of today. Today is a good day to practice.

In my very first yoga class the teacher recommended to start a home practice right after the first yoga class. Right from the beginning on one can start the own yoga journey.

Being independent from circumstances gives freedom.