When you practice Yoga at home, you may not always be under the best circumstances to ensure you follow your routine properly. Today’s modern lifestyle puts much more pressure on your working day and removes much of our free time. Yoga requires regular practice in order for it’s benefits to take effect so it’s important to make sure you plan your Yoga Schedule properly and thoroughly and give yourself the best opportunities to stick with your chosen routine.
Firstly, when planning out your Yoga schedule, take into account how long you want to hold your postures. There is no time limit that is set in stone for Yoga postures. The longer you stay in a position the greater the benefits will be but on the other hand if you feel uncomfortable doing a certain Yoga posture you should finish it early instead for safety. If you find your personal schedule is already very full it may be necessary to break up your Yoga routine into smaller 10 minute sessions throughout your day. There is nothing wrong with this, just make sure you are comfortable with the time you have assigned to Yoga practice.
Next, it is important to remember that just because you may want to do certain postures on a certain day you can deviate from your plan somewhat. If you are feeling stressed, have a headache or your neck is stiff there are certain postures you can do to help alleviate those symptoms specifically. For example, if you are feeling stressed and have ten minutes to spare for Yoga, ignore your previous plan and try out supported Sarvangasana and Setu Bhanda Sarvangasana postures instead which will help you relax and relieve some of your tension.
Don’t plan any complicated and difficult Yoga postures unless you are experienced in practicing them. As a beginner you should ensure you practice postures you are familiar with. Try to master Tadasana, Savasana and Dandasana (see Three Simple Yoga Postures you cannot Live Without) before you jump in at the deep end. When you are comfortable with these, move on to variations such as Utkatasana, Virasana forward bend and Janusirsasana (see “Three Simple Yoga Asana Variations to Expand Your Skills”.). As you progress you will be able to gradually add more and more postures to your sessions.
Your Yoga schedule, while flexible, should still have a solid structure you can adhere to. Start off with a basic posture, then do one of the main groups of poses and finally finish with a relaxing posture. For example: Tadasana " Virasana " Savasana. Don’t be in a hurry to do complicated postures; attempting anything above your level can be dangerous. In time you will begin to strengthen your body and adapt to be supple and flexible allowing you to move on to the next level of postures.
Notes to Women:
If you are a woman it’s important not to practice inverted postures during menstruation. The inverted poses can interfere with the natural flow of blood. You can still do Yoga while menstruating, there are a series of Asanas for Menstruation you can practice that provide support for the back and promote the natural flow of blood.
Copyright © Andi Jackson and http://youreasyyoga.com.
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