Building A Yoga Practice At Home | Episode 1

Are you struggling to practice yoga at home? Do you feel unmotivated, uninspired, and unhappy? Do you feel like you're losing all of the hard work you've put in at the yoga studio because you just can't find consistency at home? In this podcast, I'm going to walk you through 3 tips you can use to get back to a regular yoga practice in your home during this pandemic.

Transcript

Hi there,

My name is Meg Sanghimino and I'm here to offer small accessible tips to help you build and grow your yoga practice From the comfort of your home.

I'm a yoga teacher mentor coffee lover and dog mom Today I want to talk about starting or building a yoga practice in your home So if you're a regular yogi don't tune out just yet This applies to practitioners of all levels So as a yoga teacher,

I'm hearing many of my yoga students Really struggling during this pandemic Many of them are used to practicing yoga in a studio setting and are struggling to start a practice in their home With local yoga studios being shut down or offering limited space in their classes A lot of my students are feeling really really lost in their practice Can you relate to this at all?

Today I'm going to offer three main reasons why you may be struggling to practice yoga in your home as opposed to in a studio During this pandemic and how you can make a few small changes to feel motivated and inspired again in your practice So often I see students jumping right onto their yoga mats without taking the time to create a space that they love and Are consistently drawn to it's important to think about the controllables in our space so that we can be really really intentional with our home practice as I've explored ways to support my students during this pandemic.

I'm hearing a lot of them say that they're frustrated because their yoga practice was So consistent until they were forced to practice at home This is a very real concern and I like to remind my students that it's a very different dynamic Doing a yoga practice in your home versus at a studio If you've done yoga in a studio before it's tempting to have the same expectations for a studio practice in your home So we're going to take today to kind of unravel this concept that maybe you can resonate with Or maybe this is something that you've struggled with during your time in quarantine If you've been in a yoga studio or if it's been a little while Take a moment and imagine yourself walking into the studio What kind of feelings do you get?

What do you see?

What do you smell?

What do you hear?

You probably have a lot of feelings What do you smell?

What do you hear?

You probably associate the space with calm and peace and it's probably one of the main reasons Why you're so drawn to the space My favorite yoga studio in the world is bright It smells like lavender.

The teachers are friendly and knowledgeable and every single class is uplifting The problem that I see students facing is that they expect the same experience at home as they do at their local yoga studio and these expectations Are what sets them up for failure when trying to build a yoga practice in their home?

So we can only get these feelings right these feelings that we get when we're in a yoga studio space If we put in careful planning to set boundaries in our space We may not realize it but studios have boundaries baked right into them Studios give you a space to practice you're there for a set amount of time They keep you from bringing in any distractions or technology onto your mat You are often practicing with other people in the room and therefore being held accountable for your practice It's a completely different dynamic than trying to roll out your yoga mat at home and do a fulfilling inspiring yoga practice This is why it's so important to control what you can in your home and set a foundation for success So this is what you're gonna this is what we're going to talk about today You are responsible for your space your boundaries how you choose to be guided through different practices And this process is more than just finding a place in your home to roll out a yoga mat every once in a while It's a process that needs to be given time and attention Your space needs to become a physical emotional and mental sanctuary for you This doesn't mean that you need a whole yoga studio or you need to buy a fancy yoga mat It's just about being intentional with your space So first I want you to find a space in your home that you can consistently use Whether it's a corner in your room a spare bedroom The side of your living room perhaps you have a whole room dedicated to your yoga practice I just I really want to encourage you to designate a space So you can have a space in your home and you can have a space in your home And then communicate let your family or your roommates know that this is your space and when you're in this space You really don't want to be disturbed.

This is your space of solitude And this first step is typically where most students get stuck many of my students Say that they haven't been able to build up consistency in their yoga practice because they're constantly Stuck in their yoga practice and they're not able to do that They haven't been able to build up consistency in their yoga practice because they're constantly getting interrupted So having this physical boundary,

Even if you don't have that much space in your home currently Is really really important communicate set this boundary set yourself up for success Once you've found this space I want you to remove anything that makes you feel mentally or physically cluttered So if you think about it Have you ever stepped into a yoga studio that feels cluttered?

That has Unnecessary trinkets or even trash all over the place Of course not This is a peaceful space So don't be afraid to clear it out Don't hesitate to clear out everything you can Don't remain attached to anything in the space.

You want to remove anything that will cause you distraction mental or emotional stress And you definitely want anything that's going to distract you like your phone or your computer or your planner out of this space The idea is that if you look around your room,

Nothing will trigger you into feeling like you have to go be productive Nothing will make you feel impulsive You are striving to find a sense of calm in this space so be intentional with what you allow into your space All right,

Once you've removed clutter distraction I want you to fill the space with things that bring you joy So anything in your home that makes you feel happy in my yoga space at home.

I have books essential oils candles cozy blankets pillows Anything and everything that brings me joy and peace.

I have plants everywhere If you've ever seen my instagram,

I have plants all over my yoga space So find some spare pillows blankets anything that you can that you can add to your space to make it cozy It's your space.

So make it your space whatever that means for you If you like flowers plants music plants music Fill the space in a way that feels homey to you This is one thing that you can't do at a studio This is an opportunity to create a space that truly intentionally brings you joy Take advantage of it set yourself up for success All right,

So those are the three main things I want you to focus on before you even get onto your yoga mat Find a spot designate a space Remove clutter and distraction And then bring items that fill you with joy There's a lot more to a home yoga practice than just creating this space But this is quite possibly the most important step in cultivating A consistent sustainable yoga practice in your home It has to be a space that you want to continuously come back to and come back to and come back to The last little piece of advice i'm going to offer here Is that I encourage you to invest in a membership Whether that is a virtual membership with one of your local studios A virtual studio like the one on my website Or any teacher that you know out there that's offering virtual classes.

I encourage you to invest a little bit Even if it's ten dollars a class fifteen dollars a class This will hold you accountable in your practice and it will bring back consistency Because as much as we hated paying those memberships at our local studios It kept us going back Every single week every single day for some of us My local studio charges a hundred and forty dollars a month That's a lot and I live in a very expensive part of DC but that also means that I was spending a hundred and forty dollars a month and I Knew that I needed to get the most out of that membership.

So I was going to the studio every single day that I could My practice was extremely consistent extremely Fulfilling and I want that for you in your home If that is not possible for you right now financially You're gonna have to hold yourself accountable So at least sign up for things that are going to send you notifications and stick to them Show up to class Or set aside a time where you can do a whole yoga practice This is going to be huge for you to find consistency I hope this was helpful for you.

If you're looking for a virtual studio membership that's affordable And full of really great resources.

I have one on my website magsanjimino.

Com And you can start with a free two-week trial to try out my virtual studio.

If not,

Then just go ahead and Check out your local studio see what they have to offer support your local community I hope this podcast was helpful for you and I hope you have a great day I hope this podcast was helpful for you and I hope you have a great day And I would love to hear your feedback.

So feel free to shoot me a message And I look forward to seeing you over on the next podcast

Reviews

Thank you so much for bringing this topic to us. I have been so frustrated with trying to do yoga at home. It has been a process. Your tips and suggestions have inspired me to keep moving forward with a space of my own.

Thanks very much for sharing these helpful tips:)