How To Build a Consistent Home Yoga Practice

Doing yoga at home can be relaxing, less stressful, and more private. In contrast to learning or practicing yoga in a studio, settling your mind and body in your own living room or bedroom can take a lot of pressure off, allow you to start your day right, and let you explore new asanas at your own pace.

But how do you stay consistent? What are the best ways to keep your home yoga practice strong, enjoyable, and meaningful without slipping into laziness or the rush of your daily life? 

In this article, we’ll explore how to build a consistent home yoga practice, which habits can help you learn yoga at home, and how to set up an area dedicated to your yoga routine that’s welcoming and encouraging. 

Why Do Yoga At Home? 

Learning yoga can be a meaningful and wonderful way to stretch your body, find mental peace, and reduce some of the effects of chronic pain, depression, arthritis, and poor balance. It’s great for folks of any age, but sometimes getting to a yoga studio can be impractical, or perhaps classes are too expensive.

Learning and practicing yoga at home permits you a much more private and relaxing experience. You don’t have to keep up with a yoga teacher if she’s going too fast, you can do each asana as many times as you like, and you’re free to relax in your own home without comparing your progress or flexibility to students around you. 

You also have the freedom to practice yoga for any length of time that works for you, either on your own, or with the help of an app or online video lesson. It’s a pressure-free, simple, inexpensive way to stretch the body and mind in a setting you’re already comfortable with. Plus, there’s no need to change out of your jammies unless you really want to. 

So how do you get started and get motivated? The first step is to pick a time slot that works for you. 

Pick a Time Slot

One of the best times to practice yoga at home is first thing in the morning. Setting aside time for yoga instead of doom scrolling on your phone is a great way to start the day with a spiritual, mindful, healthy bent. Set an alarm to allow you to get up, get some yoga in, and allow your body to flex and relax before a busy day. 

Stick to your time slot, and use reminders on your phone to help you keep this routine up. Getting yourself into a consistent routine starts with making the time and sticking to it. Your sessions don’t have to be long, and you can adjust the length of your practice as needed, but the more dedicated you are to your morning time slot, the more routine home yoga will become. 

Don’t make it a chore, but rather see your morning yoga time as an opportunity to wake your body up gently, get some you time, and set an excellent pace for the rest of the day.  

Give Yourself Flexibility

So what if you’re running late, have an early flight to catch, or sleep through an alarm? Allow yourself some flexibility on days like this. If you’re feeling a bit under the weather or exhausted, permit yourself just one or two very simple asanas or perhaps just some deep breathing in the lotus position. 

Adjust the time of your yoga sessions and the asanas you choose according to your body’s needs, your schedule, and how you feel on any given day. This will allow you to adapt your yoga practice and make it feel more personal and pleasant. Remember, this is about you getting healthy and calming your mind; it’s not a punishment. 

Allowing yourself to be flexible with how long the morning yoga sessions last or which asanas you do will give you more freedom and allow you to relax into your day rather than feel pressured to accomplish a list of poses. 

When you have time and if you want to, you can keep the routine more predictable or specific, but don’t beat yourself up if things don’t go as planned. Do what you can, be at peace, and move on to the rest of your day calmly. 

Dedicate a Space for Yoga

Another key aspect of setting up a consistent home yoga routine is to make sure your environment is comfortable, relaxing, and geared towards peace and calm. You may want to set up a specific part of the bedroom or living room for your yoga sessions, creating a meaningful, dedicated space just for you. If you have a spare room, consider turning it into a simple yoga studio. 

You can store your yoga mat, pillows, and other items here, or decorate the space with sacred artwork or wall hangings. If this doesn’t appeal to you, you can keep the space minimal and simple. Playing relaxing music, nature sounds, mantra chanting, or flute music in the background as you stretch can be a great way to set the tone and slow down further. 

Remember, yoga is about connecting the soul and the body, so the environment you practice yoga in should feel comfortable, and be conducive to a spiritual and relaxed atmosphere. Creating a special place just for yoga in your home or apartment can also encourage you to stay consistent as it creates a sort of a spiritual retreat space just for you. 

Try an Online Yoga Video

Youtube is a wealth of information and practical help, and there are a whole host of yoga videos that can guide you in simple and more advanced asanas from your own living room. This allows you to follow along with a teacher without having to leave the house, and these videos can provide some structure and a plan of action for each session. 

Stretch and bend along from your laptop, tablet, smart TV, or cellphone and let an experienced yoga teacher guide you at a pace that works for you. You can either choose specific videos for each day, or keep the video selection the same each day, depending on your needs.

This can help you develop and learn a library of asanas which you can eventually use on your own, when traveling, or when you have some free time later in the day. Mind you, you don’t need to follow along with a yoga video if this feels too complicated or demanding, but for some it can be a good way to do the same thing everyday, in the same order. If this feels like it would help you, give internet yoga videos a try. 

Keep Yourself Healthy In Everyday Life

This may seem like odd advice, but the healthier you are, the better you’ll feel, the better you’ll sleep, and the easier it will be to get up each morning to practice yoga. Yoga isn’t just a series of exercises; it’s an entire lifestyle of spirituality and healthy living meant to connect us to what really matters in life. 

Eating a simple diet of whole foods with minimal junk food, added sugar, preservatives, or artificial ingredients can seriously improve your mental and physical health. Getting fresh air throughout the week is also vital, as is sleeping well and reducing stress.

Take more time out to read, relax, sit in nature, or listen to music and spend less time on your phone or watching TV. Developing physically and spiritually healthy habits is also a key part of the yoga lifestyle, and the better your mind and body feel, the easier and more enjoyable your home yoga practice will be.  

Final Thoughts

The benefits to setting up a consistent home yoga practice are many; you can stretch and flex on your own schedule, save time by not leaving your house, stay more comfortable, and enjoy more privacy as you learn and enjoy yoga. You can also save quite a bit of money over yoga classes, and use the dedicated time to get your day started right.

When asking how to build a consistent home yoga practice, the key elements to focus on are setting up a dedicated time (usually in the morning), allowing yourself flexibility on busy days, having relaxing personal space devoted to yoga, and allowing yourself access to instructional videos if you find them helpful. 

Staying healthy and mentally fit in other aspects of day to day life will also work wonders for your home yoga routine, and allow you to incorporate yoga as part of a spiritually and physically healthy lifestyle.

Yoga leggings is one of the hottest styles right now. Are you looking for some new athleisure wear? Shop with us today! Also be sure to read our other articles: 

Yoga for Metal Health

Yoga Poses for Stress Relief 

Origins of Yoga