HOW TO BUILD YOUR

YOGA PRACTICE

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What is Yoga?
If you ask 100 people what yoga is, you'll get 100 different answers. Yoga roughly translates into "Union". Union means uniting our mind, body and spirit. Then, it unites the individual spirit with the universal spirit. Most people can agree that yoga is a practice.
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Here's our favorite definition of what yoga is.

Core Components of Yoga

There are many types of yoga practices out there, but virtually all are based on these foundational principals.

Breathwork

Different yoga practices prescribe different types of breathwork but all serve the same purpose. Breathwork is a tool to help ground you in your body, move into the present moment and facilitate movement.

Movement

Different yoga practices are comprised of different movements and postures, known as Asana. Asana is what most people recognize as Yoga but it's really only one aspect of the practice.

Meditation

The purpose of Asana is to prepare the mind and body for sitting in Meditation. Practicing Meditation allows us to reconnect to ourselves, transcend the boundaries of separateness and return to union. 

Getting Started
Starting your yoga practice doesn't require a new outfit, a membership to a yoga studio or a $199 yoga mat. All it requires is you, a clear and informed intention and a clear space. 

Making Space for Your Practice

Find a place where you can be undisturbed for the duration of your practice. Find a level surface that is free from clutter and has enough space for you to move comfortably and safely.  

What to Wear

Wear clothes that allow you to move freely and comfortably. Most people wear athletic clothing that moves and stretches. Clothes are the least important part of your practice, so wear whatever you're comfortable with.

Equipment You May Want

Most people practice on a yoga mat to prevent slipping. Some optional items you might consider are blocks, a strap, a bolster or a blanket. These are used to support you in challenging postures. All of these are optional, use whatever works best for you.

RESOURCES

8 Fold Path of Yoga

Pantanjali
The Yoga Sutra is considered the fundamental text on the system of yoga, and yet you won’t find the description of a single posture or asana in it. This is a guide for living the right life. Essentially, Patanjali says, you can’t practice asanas in yoga class, feel the stretch, and then go home to play with your kids, cook a meal, yell at your employees, and cheat on your taxes. There is more to yoga than that. Yoga can help you cultivate body, mind, and spiritual awareness.

The heart of Patanjali’s teachings is the eightfold path of yoga. It is also called the eight limbs of Patanjali, because they intertwine like the branches of a tree in the forest. These aren’t commandments (although they sometimes sound like them), laws, or hard and fast rules. These are Patanjali’s suggestions for living a better life through yoga. Learn more here.

EXERCISE: 3 COMMON POSTURES

Take the next few minutes to familiarize yourself with some common yoga postures. Learning these core postures will give you a great foundation to build your practice on.

Downward Facing Dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana
Posture Cues:
  • Hands are shoulder width apart, feet are hip-width apart
  • Middle fingers face forward
  • Keep a slight bend in the knees to keep from straining in the shoulders
  • Frame your head with your arms, upper arms near the ears
  • Avoid hyper extending in your shoulders 
  • Rotate the eyes of your elbows to face each other
  • Open across your chest
  • Pull the ribs towards the spine
  • Broaden across your shoulders
  • Lift the hips up towards the sky while reaching the heels to the ground
  • Melt the heels towards the ground 
  • Gaze goes between the knees or to the belly button if it feels safe on the neck

Standing Forward Fold - Uttanasana
Posture Cues:
  • Stand with feet hip-width apart or wider depending on your body
  • Lengthen spine long inhaling
  • Micro-bend in the knees
  • Fold forward hinging at the hips exhaling 
  • Internally rotate the top of the thighs and draw the tailbone backwards 
  • Keep an open chest 
  • Release head and neck last
  • Feel the spine hang from the hips, creating more space between each vertebra
  • Add a block under the hands for support if they cannot reach the ground 
  • Option to bring the hands into the elbows and relax the arms fully

Warrior II - Virabhadrasana II
Posture Cues:
  • Stand with feet 3-4 feet apart with open hips
  • Toes of the front foot face forward
  • Toes of the back foot are facing outward at a 45-degree angle 
  • Line up the heel of your front foot with the arch of your back foot
  • The front knee is bent and stacked directly above the front ankle
  • Be sure the knee isn't in front of the ankle
  • The front thigh is parallel the to the ground
  • Bring your arms out to the side at shoulder height
  • Broaden across the shoulders
  • Keep the body at a center line, not reaching too far forward 
  • Engage the space behind your belly button
  • Stay activated in the arms and fingertips
  • Focus your gaze over the middle finger of the front hand

Building A Practice

Practice Every Day

The prerequisite for building a yoga practice is just that, practice! There is no shortcut around developing the habit of practicing daily. Beware anyone who tells you that you can the results you're looking for without a regular practice sustained over years.

Master a Few Postures

You need to start somewhere. The common postures that we outlined above are a great place to start. But, you can pick whatever postures fit your goals and needs. Practice these postures until you can hold each of them for five to ten breaths comfortably. 

Aim for Progress

Notice how your practices becomes more intuitive over time as you become more aware of your body. Focus on building your practice and adding new postures as needed. Shoot for overall progress without becoming attached to a specific outcome.

Set goals but aim wisely.

Setting goals for your practice will keep you motivated and disciplined. Need help? Check out our sample plan below.

Our 6-Week Training Plan

Below is a sample 6-Week Training Plan that will jumpstart your yoga practice. 

Week 1: Introduction to the 8 Limbs of Yoga + Breathwork

This week, we will introduce the 8 Limbs of Yoga and touch on each of their importance to the overall practice, plus a focus on breathwork (the 4th Limb). You'll become more informed on the background, history and tools used in building a yoga practice. You'll become familiar with the common terms used in a yoga studio setting. At the end of this week, you'll feel like you have a good base of knowledge to start building your practice.

Week 2: Breaking Down Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar A)

Most traditions of yoga use the Sun Salutation as a warmup or a way to start the practice. The Sun Saluation is a series of postures designed to warm up the body and integrate the breath. This week we'll dive deep into proper alignment for Sun Salutations to make sure you're practicing it safely. At the end of this week, you'll feel comfortable incorporating Sun Salutations into your regular practice.

Week 3: Movements of the Spine

This week, we will focus on spinal mobility with forward folds, backbends, twists and side bends. The spine is one of the most important parts of the body. A healthy spine is a spine that remains flexible and strong and these positions will help you do that. At the end of this week, you will have a range of tools to help you prevent or recover from spinal injuries. Even if you have limited range of motion or injuries, this week will help you design a practice that works best for your body.

Week 4: Core, Balance and Inversions

This week, we will focus on creating equal parts of strength and flexibility. This week will focus on postures that promote core engagement and balance in order to provide stability in the rest of our practice. At the end of this week, you'll learn how to do inversion in a way that is supported and accessible to anyone, including beginners.

Week 5: Additional Common Postures (Asana Cues & Alignment)

In the previous weeks we established a framework for the practice, broke down alignment of certain postures, and gained information about the benefits postures contribute to the practice when done in a certain order. Now, we're going to expand your knowledge and build familiarity with other postures most commonly used across all types of yoga practices. At the end of this week, you'll have a strong foundation ​to feel comfortable attending a class or to begin creating your own practice. 

Week 6: Integration and Building Your Practice

Now you have all the knowledge you need to form your basic practice. We'll recap what we've learned so far and talk about how to continue integrating that knowledge into our daily lives. At the end of this week, you will create a plan, set goals and design your own personalized sequence. You will leave this six-week class series with the tools to feel confident and comfortable being a yoga practitioner. 

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