Scared of a Home Yoga Practice? Overcome These 6 Common Fears!

Does a home yoga practice sound scary to you? Well, you're not alone.

You can’t read a blog, take a class, or be involved in the yoga community without the words “home practice” being uttered (sends chills up my spine just thinking about it), but raise your hands if you ACTUALLY have a “home practice.” Is this mic on? Is there anyone out there? If the words “home practice” frighten you or bring up thoughts of anxiety, fear no more! Here we have fears and easy moves to overcome them.

1. I don’t even know what a home practice is? Breathe; it’s not as scary as you think. “Home practice” refers to doing yoga at home, alone. You may be asking, “why would I do that when I could just as easily go to the studio?” It’s simple, doing yoga at home can be done for 10 minutes or 2 hours and you have the freedom to do it when YOU want (that’s right, when it fits into your schedule)! Sounds simple enough, right? You’ve taken enough classes to be able to rock your mat at home.

2. I don’t what to do? Not as easy as you thought? Those moments of studying for a big test and then when you actually sit down to take it your mind goes blank are flooding back to you. Don’t worry, if you aren’t inspire you can go online for inspiration. With websites like YouTube or YogaGlo, you can find plenty of streaming classes. Better yet, next time you take a class, write down the poses you love and what comes before (and after them). Ask your teacher for suggestions (we are always happy to give our two cents on how to help) on how to get started. Just remember, this is your chance to play and do all the poses you love!

3. Eek, I finally did it and I thought it was an hour, but it was only 20 minutes! Be happy, you just did 20 minutes of yoga (20 minutes is better than NO yoga). If you were hoping to get an hour of yoga in the first time you did yoga at home, that is a great goal to work up to, but for now, stick with 20 minutes. The more you get comfortable with linking poses together and doing yoga on your own, the more time you will spend on the mat. You’ll get the hang of it and start to play more!

4. I just can’t LIE there, do I have to do savasana/corpse pose? The short answer is no, you don’t have to DO anything, but let me just say this. Taking corpse pose at the end of class is a little reward for doing the “work”. I like to think of it as my “earned rest”. You don’t have to do the full corpse pose, maybe sitting cross-legged for a few minutes may work better for you at home, eyes closed and breathing. Just make sure you have closer to your practice, otherwise you may wander around the rest of your day a little out of whack! If you worry about falling asleep on the floor, set a little timer. Make sure you use a soft noise as the reminder; otherwise you may shock yourself into reality.

5. I only have 10 minutes, is that really enough time to do yoga? YES, any amount of yoga is better than none and it will make a difference in your day. 10 minutes of breathing, focus, and movement can be a great way to start the day, end the day, or a break mid-day. Taking a time out for you can change thoughts, moods, or unhealthy habits.

6. I don’t have enough room in house to lie out my mat! MAKE SOME ROOM. I know it’s an easy excuse, but it is just that, an excuse. All you need is enough space on your floor to put your mat. You don’t need fancy hardwood floors or a mirror. Just a little bit of room, so make some.