Tips for Teachers - Putting Your Training to Work (Part 4 & 5 of 5)

4.    Set goals and evaluate yourself fairly

As touched on earlier, YTT-certified teachers have varying intentions of how they use and put to use their training.  Whether taking your last training was purely out of interest and to deepen you understanding of yoga and/or to equip you with the certification to start teaching, it is important for you to start looking at the long game.  If teaching and making it your primary source of income is your goal, I recommend to start from the bottom up, making a clear list of smaller goals (class curriculum, refining your style and approach), working up to planning and conducting local workshops with time to sit down and evaluate and refine the content you are sharing.  Like I learned in my most recent training, the more you learn, the more you start to question ideas and concepts and realise there is never just one answer, but rather a life-time of learning and unlearning, and tools to add to your yoga-teacher toolbox.  After some years in refining your teaching and hosting workshops and retreats, you can start to plug your content and knowledge into training teachers and/or collaborating with other teachers and studios.  If teaching yoga does not come attached with the responsibility of providing you or your family’s income, or you are only interested in teaching on a smaller scale, refining and developing your style still very much applies.  Students will always resonate more with a teacher with a consistent voice and style, and a class that is sequenced well.   And that last point is one  that will hold us accountable and grounded as a good yoga teacher. 

5.    Continue to learn and grow

It really has never been any easier to have instant access to yoga articles, books and video/virtual material.  Being somewhat old-school, most of my books and sources I have accumulated over the years are non-digital, but in more recent years I have accessed and purchased online courses to keep me engaged as a teacher and to accumulate new skills and knowledge.  
If face-time works best for your learning style, attending or assisting workshops is another way to stay engaged and get a different or fresh perspective on teaching material.  
Just because you are a yoga teacher and work independently doesn’t mean you can’t collaborate with your professional peers either.  I have recently started a monthly mini study group, which really, doubles as a social hang out, but we talk about our recent lessons, sequencing successes and concerns and share insight from our own classes.  You may already do this online, but if you haven’t tried it, a physical meet-up is really beneficial in an otherwise often solo hustle-bustle lifestyle.  

Let me know how you go with the suggestions in the comment section xx
 

Tips For Teachers—Putting Your Training To Work (Part 2 & 3 of 5)

The first blog of the 5-part series on Tips for Teachers explored how to process and collate what you learned from your Teacher Training program.  In Part 2 & 3, we explore what it means to find your 'voice' and message and taking that further into developing your own authentic content.   

2.    Understand your voice and message

It’s about discovering and fostering a style of your own. As teachers, how we communicate to our students is absolutely paramount; equally as important as what we communicate.  Voice, class structure, pacing and point of emphasis are all part of what makes you and your class unique, effective and desirable.  If you look at most successful yoga teachers today, you will notice  that they all have their own unique voice, both in the details of the yoga they teach and emphasize and in their style of communication.   Now style, is a somewhat subjective  term in a yoga context as what one student might feel as too detailed and rigid, another may find it informative and structured.  My advice here is to decide what you are trying to breakdown, relay and instill in the students and communicate it in a way that feels authentic to you.  

3.    Develop your own content

Integrate what you’ve learned with who you are.  This is a big one.  After all our hard work, a completely natural post-training impulse is to seek to integrate everything we learned into our own classes.  But it quickly becomes obvious that it is far too hasty—and maybe recklessly so—to implement so much material without affording ourselves adequate time to work with it in our own practice.  The content and ideas I repeat and emphasize in class over and over again earned their place through my own experiences—through trial and error, by feeling things in my own body, by observing students up close—and because I believe in their value for myself and my students.  This is something we all do, both consciously and subconsciously, and this post-training phase is a crucial time to be particularly deliberate in what you’re integrating into your classes. 

We all, as teachers, whether communicated beforehand to students or organized in our minds, have a ‘plan’ of what we are going to teach for that day, week or month.  New teachers can find themselves succumbing to the self-inflicted pressure to excite, wow and please students with uber-creative flows, intensity for the sake of intensity and an ever-changing class-to-class theme.  I know this, as this was me post-200hr YTT and an experience many of my peers have felt and had to work through.  Ad-hoc one-off classes and re-inventing the wheel lesson-to-lesson is not only exhausting for you but ultimately does not support the growth of the student.  As one teacher reminded and emphasized, yoga is a discipline, a subject matter, and should be treated similar to how one would teach any subject at school.  Did I feel comfortable with trigonometry after one or two lessons?  Nope. Students like repetition and consistency, and it will make your job as the teacher a lot more manageable, leaving room and energy to be creative where appropriate.

Tips for Teachers—Putting your Training to Work (Part 1 of 5)

Whether you just completed your 200 or 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) or completed a specialty course, this blog is intended to help you answer the question, what now?

            Being somewhat on your own—figuring out where, what, and how often you teach; negotiating compensation; setting short and long-term career goals—can be quite daunting at times, but this double-edged sword of independence is a part of the modern yoga teacher paradigm and one we have to accept and embrace to reach our goals, whatever they are.   And whether you intend to teach part-time or are making a true career of yoga, one of the most important things you’ll be left to manage, more or less on your own, is your continuing development as an instructor.  The completion of your training, you see, isn’t an end-game.  It is, in fact, the very beginning of a process; a process of personal growth and evolution as an instructor.  You’ve been handed a tool and taught how it works, but now it’s up to you create something of value.  So, while you’re still motivated and energized from the professional milestone you’ve reached, and before complacency starts to creep in, consider these five solid ideas which will be rolled out in separate consecutive blogs, for making the most of your achievement and putting your training to work for you.  By keeping each point separated in its own short blog entry, my hope is for you to take the time to sit with each point and see it resonates with your practice, teaching and personal view point. 

1.      Process what you’ve learned

            In my 300 YTT, I learned a TON.  My notes and squiggly diagrams took up a whole notebook.  But for all but the most fastidious note-takers among us, many of those squiggles will not age well. While I’m sure most YTT-graduates had major a-ha! moments throughout each module, many of which were faithfully recorded to their internal-yoga-drives, the painful truth is that, given time, our memories will prove relentlessly fallible. Take the time to review your own notes. Organize, collate, and digitize any lessons, tips, anecdotes, or insights you find valuable, adding more as you learn, and you will soon find yourself the owner a rich and totally unique yoga reference.

            While you’re doing this, take the opportunity to use all the resources at your disposal to clarify any new or lingering questions, fill in any gaps in your notes, and dig deeper into any areas of particular interest.  No training program and no instructor can cover everything and, likewise, no student is going to think of or have the opportunity to ask every possible question during training.  In addition to the resources you have at hand, don’t be afraid to reach out and contact instructors and students from your training.  Many will be willing and happy, as their schedule allows it, to offer extra insight via some light correspondence.

Office Pick-me-up

Six postures right at your desk. Nothing fancy, but an easy and effective way to brush away the brain fog and address those areas which can use a little daily maintenance and care.  Desk-dwellers and the like can benefit greatly from neck and shoulder stretches, chest and hip openers, twists and poses that lengthen the spine, all of which you can find below.  For a longer and more thorough sequence check out my previous blog on Office Yoga, but for now, enjoy a little yoga break and experience how the postures can help deepen your breath, soothe tension and clear your mind - the perfect recipe for a mini office pick-me-up!

*Be sure to stay in each posture/side for at least 5 breaths. 

From left to right: 

1.  Sit or stand with the hands interlaced and feet hip-width apart.  Flip your palms and reach them overhead.  After a few breaths in the center, arc the body to the right, breathing into the left side waist and ribs.  Come back to center and repeat on second side.

2.  Upper back stretch - interlace the fingers and stretch the arms away at chest height, palms facing inward. As this is essentially a seated cat pose, breathe deeply into the space between the shoulderblades, and let the head gently release down. 

3.  Seated twist - Sit at the edge of your seat, turn the torso to the right with the left palm to the outside of the right thigh and the right hand/arm to the back of the chair.  Breathe in as you sit taller and rotate through the navel as your exhale.  Repeat on second side.

4.  Neck stretch - Sit or stand tall with feet hip-width apart.  Place your right hand on your left ear and gently tilt your head to the right, relaxing the left shoulder downwards. Repeat on second side. 

5.  Ankle to knee - Sit at the edge of your chair and bring your left ankle on top of your right thigh (more towards the knee but avoid placing it directly on top).  Observe the stretch into the outer left hip, adding more leverage and stretch as you lean your torso forward.  Some may like to drape the torso over the leg with the fingertips to the floor. Repeat on second side.  

6.  Chest opener - Sit or stand tall with the feet hip-width apart and the hands interlaced behind the back.  Slowly reach your arms back, feeling the chest broaden and the front of the shoulders stretch.  To go deeper, bring the heel of the hands towards one another, closing the hands.  Keep your gaze forward or tilt the head slightly up. 

Office Yoga

Whether you spend your working hours mostly stationary in an office cubicle, running from meeting to meeting in a busy attorney's office, or mixing spurts of sitting, walking and standing in an unpredictable Emergency Room, the following three mini office yoga sequences serve as a reset button for the major tension areas of the body, promote deeper, more conscious breathing and, most importantly, use a small space and narrow window of time to create an opportunity for you to take care of yourself.

When I chose the rather humble title 'Office Yoga' for this blog, I was envisioning a typical 21st century workspace.  Likely cramped and cluttered with the detritus of repeated "repurposing" or the abandoned refuse of projects eagerly started but now stuck in some sort of eternal holding pattern, where the only props you have are simply the desk and chair you likely spend a majority of  your day at or around.  And if you don't work at a desk, and if you're not fortunate to work for an employee who has provided on-site fitness facilities, and if your responsibilities and goals don't afford you time for recreational or fitness activities during your workday, and if your coworkers would gawk at you like a some sort of madman for laying down a mat in the middle of your workspace and suddenly springing up into a handstand, I humbly offer your three equally humble bite sized yoga sequences divided, I hope, into cohorts that make sense to your body.  And whether done in sequence, mixed-and-matched, performed in isolation, or modified to better fit your needs, limitations, or liking, I hope they help provide you with a break from the tasks and demands of even your most strenuous workday.  

Each sequence can be completed in less than 12 minutes; hold each pose for at least 5 breaths on each side.  And, as almost all of the postures are practiced on your chair, you will have to dig deep for an excuse not to incorporate them into your day! :) 

SEQUENCE 1:     NECK, SHOULDERS & UPPER BACK

Sit tall on your chair, one hand to your belly and the other on your chest. Follow your breath as you breathe deeply into your bottom hand and observe the breath draw into the top hand

 Cat and Cow - hands to thighs or grip the knees as you move through the two poses

From the last cat pose interlace the fingers and stretch the arms forward, stretching deeper in the mid and upper back

Flip the interlaced hands outwards, stretch the arms up into Upward Bound Fingers Pose - move into side bends

Eagle arms with neck tilt

Cow face arms

Puppy pose with elbows on your desk, glutes on the chair

SEQUENCE 2:     LOWER BACK, CORE & TWISTS

Sitting with feet hip-width apart, fold forward over the legs, resting the fingertips down on the floor

Turn to the right, so that the right thigh is parallel and against the back of the chair. Turn your torso to the right as your exhale, taking both hands to the back of the chair-back, helping you stay stable in the twist. Repeat on the other side

Come back to sitting with feet hip-width apart, lower the left fingertips down to the floor between the feet, and stretch the right arm up and experience a deep twist through the torso 

Half Salutations seated or standing

SEQUENCE 3:     HIPS, LEGS & FEET

Standing quad stretch

Runners's stretch or half hanumanasana with the front foot on the chair 

If you have the space around the chair or place of practice, Warrior 2 - Reverse Warrior - Triangle

Seated single pigeon - place ankle on opposite thigh, tilt the torso forward to deepen the stretch in outer hip

Interlace fingers around the back of one thigh to lift it slightly, and come into ankle extention, flexion and rotatation. Squeeze and open the toes. 

Seated child's pose - rest forearms and elbow on desk, rest forehead on stacked hands

Meditation (or stay in seated child's pose)

Garudasana Arms

(Eagle Arms)

Lift the elbows to shoudler hieght, drawing the elbow tips away as you lift the finger tips upwards. Squeeze the forearms together and enjoy the stretch in the upper back 

300hr Yoga Teacher Training

One week removed from my final day and graduation from Jason Crandell’s 300 hour Yoga Teacher training, I find myself buzzing and still working through the excitement of this career milestone (though admittedly, some of that buzzy feeling is probably due the the last of the caffeine jitters working through my tired body and equally exhausted mind).  At first glance, 300 hours may not sound like much, but for me those 300 hours took the form of three cross-country trips, weeks of in-depth anatomy lectures and philosophy discussion, daily physical asana practice (2-3 hours each, performed in a hot, humid and windowless furnace, albeit a nice furnace filled with lovely people) and dozens of additional hours of reading and preparation between modules.  As time rolls on and people are pushed and challenged,  things can get INTENSE.  And it is in that very intense space that the value of preparation becomes so very obvious.  Jason, well-known as a master of teaching and, in particular, teaching teachers, had, I could see, laid out the modules in a way that not only made sense to my body – working from the feet up – but was also crafted and unfolded in a way that anticipated, met and challenged my own thoughts, preferences and bias as an instructor.  Whether discussing yoga philosophy and spirituality, the intricacies and common misconceptions of human anatomy, or the techniques and challenges of teaching, each module provided me with fresh insights into my practice of yoga, both as a student and an instructor.   And while I could spend another 300 hours just discussing what I took away from this training, what I would most like to share today are just a few of my key takeaways and how they might benefit your practice and, for those who teach now or may do so in the future, your students.  And with that long introduction out of the way, let me just start with this…

It’s okay not to know everything

For me, one of the most thrilling and frustrating aspects of yoga is the constant awareness that the more I learn, the more questions I am left with.  It’s the age-old observation of “the more you know, the more you don’t know.”  Throughout my training, Jason never hesitated to reply ‘I don’t know’ to a student.  Although he does know a TON, Jason, who has been teaching for over 20 years, reassured us that it is ok not to have all of the answers.  There are simply going to be moments when you don’t know something and, if you can set your ego aside and admit that, more often than not, students will not think any less of you for it. However far you advance as an instructor, there is always plenty of room to continue our svadhyaya, a part of Patanjali’s Niyamas in the Yoga Sutras which describes the study of both sacred scriptures and of one’s self.

You are stronger than you think

Eight days into the third module, sunk deeply into the backseat of an Uber navigating the already busy streets of San Francisco, I found myself utterly cooked and losing the mental battle to face my morning.   “I can’t push through one more practice.  My shoulders hurt, I’m exhausted, I just want to go to a café and eat pastries all morning.”  These were the thoughts circulating in my head.  I wrestled with my self-doubts for several minutes, finally building up the the nerve to tell the driver I had changed my mind, only to find we had already arrived at the studio.  But despite all of my misgivings, it just so happened that this day’s practice was to be my strongest of the entire module.  Later that evening, relaxing and reflecting on the day,  I felt empowered by this achievement, though a bit concerned I had doubted myself so wholeheartedly, after journeying so deeply into my training.  Trying to reconcile this moment of weakness, I pondered the readings Jason had assigned us for our training.  Our reading list was rich with interesting and insightful texts, from the yoga staples (Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, The Upanishads), to more contemporary works, one of which, entitled Buddha’s Brain, explored scientifically how our thoughts actively sculpt the brain.  I considered how easy it can be, when under stress, to actively multiply that stress through the way we choose to perceive it.  And more importantly, how those choices become patterns.  But Buddha’s Brain teaches us that this is a two-way street and that it is just as easy to shape our minds into a more resilient form.  I carried this thought with me for my final week, confident in the belief that I was completely capable of finishing my training every bit as strong as I had started it.

Practice evolves

To ensure that your yoga practice and, more specifically, your home practice is consistent, it’s essential to understand the need to adjust their intensity and duration to best complement what’s going on in the rest of your life.  Your practice should nurture you when you need nurturing, inspire and lift you up when you are most in need of inspiration, not deplete and frustrate you because you aren’t able to rock out 50 chatarangas in 90 minutes.  But while we strive to build the practice we need, it is equally important to avoid becoming attached to moment-to-moment expectations.  Our practice is, after all, part of our lifelong journey and a healthful rule-of-thumb for all of the important components of our lives is to maintain a sense of balance and consistency.  

For more home practice inspo, check out my blog “Bringing it home.”

Connect with people

It’s not uncommon for yoga teachers, particularly for those who teach as a full-time profession, to feel a sense of isolation from time to time.  On busier days (and there seems to be more and more of them lately), I rush directly from one studio or one client to another from sunrise to sunset and beyond.  And in all that time, with the exception of the teacher-student interaction itself and a smattering of work correspondence (e-mails, texts and the odd bit of telephone tag), I have little to no truly leisurely contact with another person.  It was an enormous treat to enjoy the company of 50 other yoga teachers during my training both inside and outside of the studio and, although I would love to have regular gatherings with many of them, it’s simply not practical or, in many cases, possible at all.  But what I have found, on the occasions that I have made a moment for myself to just interact freely with a student or fellow instructor, is that the interactions are always valuable and, often times, yield some unexpected surprises.     

Yes, yoga is a business too

Although we may practice yoga as a spiritual endeavor, to grow successfully as an instructor it is critical to embrace the business of yoga.  I am sure that many, and certainly I, find it sometimes intimidating to learn and engage in this practical side of yoga, but it is unavoidable, especially as we have success in connecting with more and more students.  That success can come in all sizes.  We are not all (and perhaps are not seeking to be) the next Jason, Kathryn or Rodney of the yoga world.  But for me, and I think for most of us, being a successful yoga teacher does include teaching yoga with fair compensation, with respect for the time and effort I put into my work, and affording myself the opportunity to develop my skillset and and gain the experience necessary to teach in bigger mediums such as retreats, trainings and workshops.  Whatever your comfort level with self-promotion, social media or business plans, by learning more about these tools and by using them effectively, professionally, and in accordance with your values,  you can continue to support and grow what you have to offer to the yoga community.

Know what you stand for

Speaking of values and connecting with people, not all students who come to your class will resonate with your message, content or teaching style, but hey, that’s okay!  While we should care about the our students’ experience and their connection to what we’re sharing, the desire to please everyone will just end up plaguing you, as it did at the beginning of my own teaching career.  Though I still have moments of concern, wondering if I’ve provided a student with whatever they needed that day, I’ve accepted the simple fact that you absolutely cannot please everybody.  What’s more important, I’ve learned, is being authentic, providing a consistent experience, and maintaining respect for yourself, your students and the yoga community and practice of yoga itself.  By maintaining to those values, I’ve advanced happily in my teaching and have developed a more enduring base of students.  Whether I’ve practiced with Jason via YogaGlo, or in-person at a workshop, training or public class, his content delivery and teaching style is ALWAYS consistent – a truly tangible demonstration that the accessory and external factors—classroom dimensions, temperature, student demographic – does not require you to change the things that make you who you are as an instructor.  Being flexible as an instructor is about finding a way to deliver your content as you face challenges, not about changing your values to suit the breeze.

And last but not least...

Be grateful

Without the support of my partner, there’s a good chance I couldn’t or wouldn’t have completed all three modules consecutively.  Thank you for your love, unwavering encouragement and pushing me to grow every single day.  

A big thank you to Love Story Yoga’s manager Laurel and her English Bulldog side-kick Bru Ngo for housing me throughout module 3 – she is one of the funniest and kindest beings I have ever met!  My gratitude also extends to Jason’s assistant, the beautiful Mira Valeria, for sharing her teacher toolbox so generously – her hands-on assistance class was, without a doubt, one of the most valuable lessons of my training.  

Thank you to my classmate and friend Vicki, who kept me sane, who shared adventures with me outside of class and who quickly became one of my closest buddies.  Our training time together was a great reminder that we are never alone in our ventures, whether seeking education or something more personal – on  that same note, I am grateful for all 50+ peers who shared their views, teachings and smiles for the 6 weeks of training together.

My sincere thanks to the stellar team of  Jason and Andrea, for all that you share with the thousands of students and instructors whose practice has been touched by engaging with your content and has allowed this community to grow more skillful and mindful with you.  And thank you too, Miss Sophia, for gracing us with your cuteness and giving 50 grateful yogis one more reason to smile at our graduation!

And lastly, thanks to my Hannah Hooper Yoga friends who have allowed me to share a few scattered thoughts with you here.

For more on Jason and his programs, check out jasonyoga.com, a great and highly accessible resource with plenty of free content (sequences, pose breakdowns and lifestyle blogs) to add to your own toolbox.  If you happen to pass through the San Francisco area, Jason teaches regular public classes when he’s not on the road.  And if you’ve found yourself thinking about taking your teaching to the next level, and are looking for an experience you will absolutely not regret, you can dive deep into his 300-hour advanced teacher training with modules currently offered in both California and, for international teachers (or those seeking a change of scenery), London, England.   

Graduating class of July 2017

Spring into action!

Spring: the perfect time to cast off the unwanted mental and physical effects of winter.  Many of us have spent the past few months struggling to stay active and motivated as we direct increasing amounts of energy to fighting the sluggishness and dreariness that follows the holidays.  Whether we’ve dialed down your yoga practice or fitness regime, overindulged in comfort foods, or simply spent too many long evenings in front of a screen at home, winter has likely taken a toll on us all.  But fear not, because whatever level of practitioner you are, this is the perfect time to push reset and start engaging in a bright, warm and regenerative routine that complements the energy that this beautiful season brings.   With a consistent practice and a bit of focus on some key postures, you will find that yoga can allow you to transition into the warmer months with ease.  

The sequence below includes plenty of twisting poses to help cleanse and massage the internal organs, chest-openers to help expand the lungs and facilitate deep breathing, as well as feel-good hip openers and foundational standing poses to provide your body and mind with a well-rounded and reinvigorating practice. 

Admiring my favorite Spring-time flowers at Boston Commons, MA. 

Spring back into Practice! 

Easy crossed-leg seated position (Sukhsana) - close your eyes and set an intention for your practice
Seated twist (Parivrtta Sukhasana)
Wide legged forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)
Child's pose (Balasana)
Thread the needle from hands and knees (Sucirandhrasana)
Puppy pose (Uttana Shishosana)
Downward facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Pigeon pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
Lizard lunge - twist (Utthan Pristhasana)
Standing forward fold, hands clasped behind (Uttānāsana)
Mountain pose (Tadasana) - side bends in tadasana (hold opposite wrist with hand)
Sun Salutations with lunges (Surya Namaskar)
Low lunge (Anjaneyasana) with hands clasped behind to open the chest - low lunge twist (Parivrtta Anjaneyasana)
Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana ll) - Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana)
High lunge (Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana) with hands clasped behind - high lunge twist
Standing wide legged forward bend (Prasarita Padottanasana) - twist (one hand on the floor, opposite arm extended toward the ceiling)
Handstand at the wall (Adho Mukha Vrksasana)*
Bridge Pose (Setu Banda Sarvangasana)* - Upward Bow (Urdhva Dhanurasana)*
Knees to Chest ( (Apanasana) - twist
Corpse Pose (Savasana)

*Poses can be omitted for those not inverting, or replaced with Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

Bringing It Home

Whether a supplement to an existing fitness regimen, a continuation of a studio yoga practice or the foundation of your wellness routine, a good home practice can serve as a powerful anchor for your wellbeing.  And, whether you've just begun considering a home practice or have long since established one, it (like most things of lasting value) merits pausing a few moments to ask two crucial questions--why and how?

Allow me to start by addressing the more intangible of those two questions—why—first.  If you’re reading this, odds are you’ve already had some experience with yoga, whether you’ve taken a few introductory classes or have invested a substantial amount of time and effort into your practice.  And, while our teacher is an important guide, assisting you in laying the essential foundations of your yoga practice, and the friends and fellow yogis who join you in the studio can serve as a wellspring of energy and support, you are almost certain to encounter a time when going to a class just isn’t going to work, whether due to obstacles or conflicting responsibilities.  In those moments, having a well-established home routine offers you the means to center yourself in a private and convenient space, whatever else is happening within you or around you.   Because, despite the name, a home yoga practice travels with you wherever you go.  It transforms the world into a private gym that charges no fees and never closes.  It requires little to no equipment, no instructor and, best of all, requires no time other than what works for you in the moment.  And true yoga is meant to do exactly that:  to accompany you outside the home or studio and provide you with strength, when and how you need it, without relying on anything but yourself.

And having said that, I’ll step down from my yogi soapbox and get down to all the nuts and bolts of a home practice by addressing the more practical of our two questions—how?

Getting set up:

Ideally, you should pick up a room or space that is quiet and free from distracting objects, curious pets and lingering family members.  It doesn't have to be a large space.  In fact, so long as the space can accommodate you and a yoga mat and has enough room left over for opening your arms and legs out to the sides, you are all set.  (This small practice space concept is something I’ll be discussing further in my upcoming blog on travel yoga)  Along with your mat, props to consider are a pair of yoga blocks, a strap, blankets and a yoga bolster.  A quick walk through your house can provide easy substitutes with books, a sports towel or belt, bath towels and firm cushions easily replacing the respective yoga items.  

Playing music in the background is a completely personal choice and I encourage you to experiment. There are many strong and varying opinions on music amongst even the most respected and popular yoga teachers, but most will advise the same—build the practice that works for you. If you find that some background music enhances your practice and helps you relax and focus, then let the records spin.  However, if the music becomes a distraction, focusing you on the sounds of your playlist instead of your breath, your inner voice and the absolute present moment that we all seek through yoga, then put the music aside.  

More important, however, than your space and equipment is when you practice.  Timing, despite the popular expression, is not everything.  But some consistency definitely helps your practice.  Rolling out your mat at the same time of day will help establish a healthy routine, hasten your progress and, in general, allow you to quickly attune to your overall condition every time you step onto your mat.  You should practice in light, comfortable clothing with an empty or nearly-empty stomach, preferably at least 2 hours following a meal.

How and what do we practice?

With the ever-increasing number of studios and instructors and the constant evolution of new styles or fusion classes, yoga is now more accessible and enticing to prospective students than ever before, making it possible for just about anyone to find their ‘perfect’ class.  And just as there is no single studio, instructor or type of yoga that suits every student, there is not a one-size-fits-all sequence or approach to your home practice.  What works for one may feel completely unsatisfying to another.  Even your own needs may change from week to week as your desires, health and circumstances change.  The sweaty vinyasa flow you found so invigorating all summer may leave you feeling exhausted in the fall as school begins or you find yourself changing homes or starting a new job.  But herein lies the magic of your home practice.  It's yours.  Dedicating some time to yourself to grow in self-awareness, to become more connected to your body and to shape your practice accordingly is what yoga is all about.  The benefits of just ten minutes spent dedicated to a few poses, focused on proper alignment while remaining fully conscious of your breath far outweigh the poor gains netted from a full hour of distracted practice with poor alignment and your mind distracted in every direction.

Yoga poses can be can be divided into several broad functional categories.   As you gain understanding of their energetic effects on the body, you will become with more comfortable with creating your own sequences to practice.  While I have added a few extra pose groups into the basic template (see below), there are 8 major groups which serve as the foundation of a well-rounded yoga sequence: opening poses, Sun Salutations, standing poses, inversions, backbends, twists, forward bends and closing postures, all ending with Savasana, or Corpse Pose.  By practicing in this order, you provide your body with time to warm up and cool down while building healthy intensity in the interim.  Just as music has verses, choruses, bridges and outros, the structure of the basic template is designed to complement the natural rhythm of the body both physically and mentally.  With a thoughtful, solid foundation and a bit of consistency, you will quickly find yourself developing a safe and nourishing home practice.  

With that in mind, a basic template of a linear Iyengar-based sequence will look like this:

Centering:  Sit or lie down on your back and begin with a simple breathing exercise or meditation.  Let yourself relax and focus.
Opening poses:  Practice a few simple poses to warm up the body (e.g. cat and cow, hip or groin openers).  Let these poses be aligned with what your focus or theme is for your practice.
Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar)
Standing postures
Arm balances
Inversions
Abdominal and/or arm strength postures
Backbends
Supported Shoulderstand
Twists and/or forward bends
Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Depending on your preferences and circumstances, you can omit pose groups.  However your structure your practice, it is strongly encouraged that you close with a minimum of 5 minutes of quiet savasana so as round-out and close your practice in a calm and centering way.

Example Sequence

The following is a beginning home-practice sequence you can perform at any time.  Add or skip poses as you’d like, depending on your energy level and personal preferences.
As with any practice, listen to your body and allow your breath to be smooth, expansive and fluid.  Hold each pose for at least 5 full breaths.

Let's practice!

Child’s pose (Balasana)
Cat and Cow (Marjaryasana and Bitilasana)
Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) - Three rounds
Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana ll) - Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana) - Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana
Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana l) - Intense Side Stretch Pose (Parsvottanasana) - Hand to foot Pose (Padahastasana)
Wide-legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)
Child's Pose (Balasana)
Bridge Pose (Setu Banda Sarvangasana)
Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)
Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
Supported Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana)*
Plow Pose (Halasana)*
Corpse Pose (Savasana)

*Poses can be omitted for those not inverting, or replaced with Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

***For more in-depth information, see my upcoming blog on Advanced Yoga Sequencing.***

For new students

Now that you've navigated to my first yoga blog entry (my first ever in fact!), let me start by saying thank you.  My goal is to make this blog valuable to you and, in that spirit,  I've decided to spend this first day sharing my thoughts on why yoga is for everybody, why yoga is for you.  If you've never unrolled a yoga mat, keep reading.  And if you already have a steady yoga practice, keep reading anyway.  The following will serve as a good reminder of the benefits we're reaping from this ancient and beautiful practice. 

Yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning 'to yoke', 'to unite', or 'to concentrate'.  Over time, its usage has evolved to describe the discipline and practice of bringing into harmony the body, mind and spirit using the uniting element of breath.  As with much of the world's ancient cultural heritage, yoga was passed from teacher to student through oral tradition, until the great Indian sage Patanjali produced the first physical guidebook, the Yoga Sutras, nearly 2000 years ago.  The 195 sutras or stanzas expound, in both a precise and practical way, on the philosophy and practice of yoga, defining it in Sanskrit as "yogascitta vritti nirodhah," or:

"Yoga is the restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff."  

-Sutra 1.2

So what can we, as students, obtain by calming and focusing the inner chatter of our minds?  Patanjali explains that when we allow the mind to control us, we suffer but alternatively, by learning to master the mind, we can achieve a deep and lasting peace and happiness.  

Hatha yoga is the mother of all of the physical yoga styles we see today.  Meaning strong or forceful, it describes the powerful transformation precipitated by the linking of postures with breath.  These fully-conscious breathing practices, or pranayama, work in conjunction with a series of deliberate physical postures to relax the body, clear the mind and allow us to enter a state of meditation.   And it is there, in this perfectly calm space we create, that we begin to feel the ultimate effect of yoga--the awakening of our true selves.  

But the most beautiful and powerful aspect of this practice is that we are able to do it anywhere, anytime.  When you find yourself, on an already trying day, trapped in rush hour traffic and decide not to give in to frustration, but to remain mindful, to stay calm and to be present with your breath--that is yoga. When you put down your phone and push aside your mental to-do list to offer a friend, a coworker, a loved one (or maybe even a stranger) your undivided attention--that is yoga.  Yoga is practiced in every moment you choose to block out the noise of the world and the distractions of the mind and instead concentrate your awareness on your best and truest self.  

As a yoga instructor, I try to help my students discover and develop their own practice.   By aiding them in the cultivation of breath-body-mind awareness, I hope to plant a seed that grows into a deeper capacity for patience and acceptance of the self, of others and of the greater community.  

With every breath we take in a yoga pose, we slowly but surely accept the absolute reality that all we are ever required to do is to inhale and exhale and accept the moment for what it is, right there, in the present.