Your at-home yoga guide: you don't have to spend tons of time at the gym or a studio to practice yoga. Here's how to develop your own program

Shape, Sept, 2004 by John Rosenthal

Taking yoga in a class setting is a great way to learn, but Surya Little, director of YogaSource studio in Santa Fe, N.M., likens yoga to playing the piano: While you may want to take weekly lessons with an instructor, the real breakthroughs come from practicing on your own. "Putting time aside, listening to yourself instead of someone else telling you what to do--that's really important," Little adds.

Richard Jonas, a New York City-based lyengar yoga instructor, agrees: "When you practice at home, you really learn and experience the transformational effects of yoga--on body, mind and spirit." Doing yoga on your own not only develops a deeper connection to the practice and a greater grasp of the asanas (poses)--it's also cheaper and more convenient. But how do you get started and then stick with it? Here are some practical tips from the pros.

Domestic Yoga Must-Do's

1. Study first. Thomas Fortel, yoga instructor in residence at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, Calif., recommends learning the basic poses from an expert instructor before beginning your own practice. Classes develop a sense of community and they're motivating, he says. Plus, your instructor can make hands-on corrections if you're doing something wrong. "People say to me all the time, 'I didn't know I was supposed to be doing it that way,'" Fortel notes.

2. Plan wisely. Choose a time and place where you won't be disturbed. This might be in the morning, when your mind is quiet and receptive, or in the evening, when your body isn't so stiff. It doesn't matter when, as long as you do it consistently. "Find an uncluttered place at home where you can feel a sense of relaxation and quiet," Little says. "Unplug the phone and shut out the world."

3. Equip yourself. The only equipment you really need is a sticky mat, comfortable clothing and your bare feet. Props like blankets, blocks and straps can ease you into more-difficult poses, but your focus in the beginning should simply be on mastering the basics.

4. Get warm. "It's important to start out with a warm-up, such as a Sun Salute, to get movement and flow going," Little says. (See page 233 for guidelines on "Full Sun Breaths," a variation of the Sun Salute, as a warm-up.) This will prepare your body for tougher postures that require more strength and stability to perform. Your warm-up should take between five and 10 minutes, but it's more important to observe how your body feels than to watch a clock. For a less intense practice, you might warm up by going in and out of a pose like moving bridge (as pictured on page 236).

5. Start slow. When you're beginning a practice on your own, "one hour of yoga can feel overwhelming," Little points out. "Keep your practice simple so that it makes you want to continue," she advises. Jonas agrees, suggesting you do "a few poses that you know and feel confident doing. When you've finished, lie in corpse pose [on your back, letting feet fall open, arms relaxed at sides, palms up] for five minutes." He recommends repeating this routine for two weeks, paying attention to how your body feels. Gradually, add new poses and hold them a little longer. "Pretty soon, your practice will be half an hour," Jonas says.

6. Always breathe. In yoga, pranayama, or breath control, is essential. The breath is used in a variety of ways--to energize, to relax or to connect one pose to another. First, inhale, filling belly, rib cage and finally lungs, then exhale in the reverse order. Don't rush; keep both inhale and exhale even and equal in time.

7. Get a leg up. Because leg strength is the key to many yoga poses, Little reminds home practitioners to "work from the legs." Do standing postures first, then twists, then forward bends and finally backbends. Following this sequence will allow you to prepare your arms, shoulders and spine for more-intense poses.

8. Stop, look and listen. Your home practice is an opportunity to take note of how your body and mind feel and to make the yoga truly your own. Tune in to how you're feeling as you practice, and pay attention to the instructions you're giving to yourself--the attention you're paying to your breathing, posture and strength. Essentially, listen to the voice of the teacher inside yourself, Jonas says: "It is by yourself that you really absorb and learn."

9. Don't push it. "Avoid doing poses you don't feel confident doing," Jonas notes. "Save them for class when you can be supervised." For instance, a headstand, done incorrectly, can lead to serious neck and shoulder injuries and shouldn't be practiced by anyone without the requisite experience.

10. Cool down. You may be tempted to skip a cool-down when pressed for time. Don't. "Always end with corpse pose," says Jonas, "even if it's only for four minutes."

RELATED ARTICLE: WHAT'S YOUR YOGA STYLE?

There are a lot of different types of yoga. Hatha yoga, under which many other types are grouped, is the most widely practiced, fundamental form in the United States. Ashtanga (on which "power yoga" is based) is a popular hatha derivative that comprises a fast-paced series of very challenging poses. Viniyoga's style focuses on developing a personal practice based on flowing postures chosen to suit each student's abilities. Iyengar emphasizes precise form; poses are held for longer periods and accomplished with the help of props like chairs, straps and blocks. Bikram, also known as "hot yoga," encompasses a demanding sequence in an 85[degrees] F-plus heated room (so you obviously won't be able to do this at home!). Meanwhile, forms such as kundalini and tantra have stronger spiritual components and emphasize mastering and focusing mental energy rather than performing postures.--Linda Shelton