Optimizing Your Home Yoga Practice Part One - Intention, Time and Space

Do you feel like a fish out of water? 

Many swimmers are still not able to train in the water on a regular basis so home fitness programs have become the norm.

This may be something new for you. If it is you are not alone.

Before our challenges with Covid-19 my wife (who is a personal trainer) never thought she would stay consistent or even like doing online yoga classes. Now it has become a habit and she loves doing classes every second day.

To build a consistency it is important to learn how to make your home practice as enjoyable and effective as possible. 

This is the first in a series of articles where I will give tips on how to optimize your yoga home practice. In this article we will focus on:

• Intention
• Space
• Time

Intention

It is important to know why you are spending time on the mat. Especially when you are incorporating a yoga practice into your overall training program. It needs to compliment your core training not compete with it.

Seven key benefits you can experience from a Swimming-Specific Yoga practice include; mobility, strength, body awareness, recovery, breathing efficiency, injury prevention and expanding your mental skills toolbox.

Decide on your priorities and focus based on how it fits into your training plan. 

Time

This is where the rubber meets the road. There is not enough time in your day for all the training you know will be beneficial. One of the biggest misconceptions people have is that you need to set aside an hour for a yoga practice. 

Trust me you can get a lot from a 10 minute practice.

During a 15 day challenge we had within the Swimming-Specific Yoga community I created a series of express classes that were 10-18 minutes in length. Several people told me that they didn’t think they would get much out of a 10-15 minute class, but once they arrived on the mat to do a shorter class they got into the flow, felt the benefits and dependent on the day even found a little bit more time for their practice. 

When building any habit start with small achievable goals. Dedicate 10-15 minutes at a consistent time once a week and build from there. You may be able to commit to more, but ensure you will comply or like many habits it will fall by the wayside. 

Space

Pick a spot in your home that is uncluttered (or not difficult to declutter) and has enough space to roll out a mat with some space on either side.

We have a small one bedroom apartment and our living/dining room is now two home offices as well as yoga studio.

But it works!

Set your intention, pick a manageable time in your schedule and roll out your mat in a comfortable space and you will be well on your way to an enjoyable practice.

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The next article in our series will go over:

• Equipment
• Tips for Developing a Strong, Safe and Effective Practice