An Inside Job: Creating a Home Practice Space.

Hello beautiful people! I hope that you are all well.

I've been in touch with some of you over the last week and know that for some this is a difficult time. Many people are starting to feel a little tense & tired from the media overload and the bizarre conversations about things we could never have imagined a couple of weeks ago. Many are concerned about health, anxious about going out, about our business, perhaps about what our future holds. Many of us are opting to practice social distancing responsibly, to help protect the elderly and vulnerable. Reading the news, we can feel the fear and negativity.

Yet I'm also grateful for this down-time, because it is a time for taking a good, deep breath. Time to take stock.

It's a trigger for connecting with people in a different, maybe more meaningful way. It is cementing families, and initiating many questions about what is important to us and how we live in this world. It's a time which shows clearly how important it is to uplift and show kindness.

When we feel uncertain or worried, it's very helpful to find a routine that keeps us grounded, calm and healthy. You're on this page now because you are taking your practice into your own home. And that’s amazing! Because this is exactly the time we need to use our practice.

Through connecting to each other in this new way, we are establishing the basis for a practice to keep us open-hearted and kind, a practice to help us to navigate life with more ease and grace. A practice which may last long after this has all passed.

The focus of this virtual group will be on more than just perfecting a backbend or learning to still our mind. Yoga & meditation practice are part of a lifestyle which promotes emotional, spiritual, intellectual and physical balance. A way of living that helps us to be in the world in a different way.

The uploads / articles / classes will cover a mixture of movement, meditation, pranayama (breath work) and sankalpa - working with intention / setting our determination. We’re a sweet and beautiful community of Yinsters and Meditation practitioners, and I invite everyone to use this website.

The online thing is new to me too, so I'm playing around today with setting up a private YouTube channel which I can use to upload compressed video onto this site.

(Any proficient users out there, by the way? Suggestions welcome.)

I will spend a few days working on it. Meanwhile, I can upload voice track & music, so if necessary, we'll just begin with that.

We can all learn together :)

Anyhoooo, before I get started next week on some classes, I thought I’d give you a few tips on how to set up a home practice:

1. Get your nearest and dearest involved.

Even before you find a space, you might consider asking your family or people in your space to help you choose where to set up and at what time your practice will suit everyone. It may feel easier to get started if you've found a space and time that works for all everyone.

2. Find a space

You don’t need as much space as you think. As long as you can roll out a mat, a towel, or put a meditation stool in a corner, that’s enough space. Ideally, in an area you can close off to pets, kids, TV and foot traffic. It’s possible to get creative about it too: if the weather is good, maybe you want to use a corner in the garden.

3. We have enough - make do with what you have

No mat? No matter. Learning to live with what we have and adapting is part of the yoga and mindfulness mindset. You can use a large towel or two. I will also make sure all the Yin classes can be done without props, bolsters and blocks. For the meditation, you could just sit your sit-bones on a cushion or a chair, as long as you don’t rest your back against the backrest. If you have a bench or a meditation cushion, you could consider facing the wall, in the traditional Zen way. It makes concentrating much easier.

3. Can you leave it there?

Once you find a spot that feels comfortable, maybe you can leave your mat or meditation seat set up there. It's easier to maintain a practice if you have a dedicated space. You could decorate the space with a candle, incense, flowers, stones - whatever you feel generates a peaceful state of mind. If it feels a bit awkward to set that up where others can see it, you could consider using a wooden box or cupboard. When I first started, I used to put my meditation inspiration in a little wooden box set sideways, which I closed up when not in use.

4. “Stack your practice habit", Create an extra habit

I have found that it is enormously helpful to practice at the same time every day. What is even better is to “stack your practice habit” with something else you do every day, like having your morning coffee or feeding your pets. So whether you want to practice once a week or every day, make it every time just after you've had that morning coffee. Stack your habits in this way.

5. Start small – it is vital

It is so important to be realistic and start small, I can hardly emphasise it enough. Don’t try to sit in meditation for an hour, or stick to an hour yoga class right away. It will put you right off.

Even if you're used to doing that 1 hour class at the studio with ease, to start a home practice is a totally different vibe, and you'll soon notice you won't be able to do as much of it in the beginning. It takes a while to get a longer routine going.

Well, I hope this helps a little. I'm looking forward to hooking up with you soon with something to get us started.

Metta to all of you.

_/\_