Yoga is a great way to relax and unwind while staying active. It is a versatile activity that can be done anywhere, and is great for doing in the comfort of your own home. We’ve laid out some steps to help you get started with your own home yoga practice.
Get Your Gear
You only need a few things to do yoga at home: a yoga mat, space, and internet access.
You can purchase a mat for less than $15 at most retail or fitness stores (i.e. Walmart, Target, Amazon). If you don’t want to invest in a yoga mat right away, you just need something soft to practice on, like a carpet, a rug, or a towel.
You’ll need to find a location (inside or outside) where you can roll it out and still have some space around you. You should be able to extend our arms up and out without hitting anything.
We recommend you have a laptop or phone with internet so you can follow along to online classes and videos. You can find yoga books, but its easier to learn when you can see another person moving into different poses.
You can get a slick yoga outfit if you want, but its not necessary. All you need are some comfortable clothes that allow you to move freely.
Choose an Instructional Video
If you’re new to yoga, we recommend finding a channel that offers a curated selection for beginners and a review of basic poses, this way you won’t risk hurting yourself or feeling overwhelmed. Yoga for Beginners by Yoga With Adrien is a great place to start.
Look through different YouTube channels, websites, apps, and even live Instagram feeds to find which platform works best for you. Feel free to ask your friends and colleagues for suggestions. Try a couple different videos/teachers for a few days until you find one you like.
Start Your Practice with Patience
If this is your first time doing yoga, you may feel a little weird. That’s totally normal. If you keep practicing, you will quickly get used to it.
If you can’t do a pose exactly as instructed, that’s also normal. Just stay patient and keep practicing and you’ll get closer over time.
You may find yourself pausing or frequently looking at the teacher to learn each pose. You’re learning! You’ll find yourself doing this less often once you become familiar with the poses and flows.
Set a Goal
Starting your home yoga practice is easy. Maintaining and building on it is the difficult part, so it may help to set a goal. Your goal can be as simple as practicing three times a week or completing a 30-day challenge. Or you can aim to become comfortable enough with the basics to attend a class at a local yoga studio.
Yoga is a practice meant to be cultivated with time, so stay patient and persistent.
