How to Make the Most of Your At-Home Yoga Practice During a Pandemic

Unfortunately for most of us, we’re quarantined at home wondering how to best spend our days and save our sanity at the same time.

You might be missing going out to eat, hanging out in your favorite coffee shop, going shopping, taking classes at your local yoga studio, and most importantly, you’re probably missing quality time spent together with family and friends. 

And despite how difficult this time has been for everyone, it’s still so important for us all to care for our mental, physical and spiritual health.

Even though you might not be able to go to your local yoga studio for class, you can still practice yoga at home and greatly benefit from it! It might feel a bit different than class in-person, but it’s still an amazing way to connect with your mind, body, and soul during this unpredictable time that we’re all living in.

Here are some tips that I hope you’ll find helpful to make the most of your at-home yoga practice!

Create a quiet and peaceful place to practice

If you live by yourself or just with another adult or two, finding a quiet, peaceful place to do yoga at home might not be too difficult for you! Lucky you!

But, some of you may have a bunch of little people running around causing chaos in your house. If that’s you, make sure you carefully plan out when you will practice and plan to have your partner watch the kids while you get away for a few minutes for your at-home yoga practice.

Try not to skip this step, as it’s so important to set yourself up for success by first placing yourself in a calm, peaceful environment that will help you focus on your practice and free your eyes, ears, and mind from distractions.

Set your intention

Whether it’s noticing and letting go of emotions that may come up, bringing spaciousness and openness to a specific part of your body, or simply focusing on the quality of your breath. It’s important to know what intention you’re setting for your practice. 

Do the poses you love while listening to what your body needs

What poses do you love doing in class? Downward dog, cobra, warrior I + II, child’s pose? Try thinking through the poses that you love and simply go with those. 

As you go through your practice, remember to listen to your body’s needs. Do you feel tension in your lower back? Address that tension. Are your legs feeling stiff? Maybe pay extra attention to stretching out your hamstrings and calves. 

Embrace the freedom of practicing outside of class. You’re in charge! And you can do all the poses you love and the poses that your body needs in the current moment.

Go with it. Don’t question or judge yourself.

It can definitely feel intimidating to do yoga on your own when you’re used to being led every step of the way by your yoga instructor. 

Embrace the freedom of practicing by yourself!

Nothing you decide to do in your personal practice is wrong, so remember not to judge yourself or question what you’re doing.

Remember to focus on your intention for your practice and do what feels good!

Stay motivated by incorporating online yoga classes

It can be hard to incorporate new yoga poses into your personal practice without being led by a professional instructor. If you’re feeling the need to learn new poses and be led by someone else, check out these YouTube channels for free yoga practices you can do today.

What are your go-to poses for your at-home yoga practice? 

I’d love to hear them! Let me know in the comments below!