Practicing yoga in a community outside of one’s house is such a gift. For many of us, the yoga studio is our sanctuary. Within those four walls, we can give ourselves permission to be in our body and breath and to put everything else (our to-dos, our deadlines, our stresses, any heaviness from the week) on pause for the duration of the time we spend in that sacred room. Technology has always felt daunting to me, and at first, I felt very scared about moving into online yoga as the new modality. Change is challenging. However, after teaching my first online yoga class, my perspective has shifted greatly. It felt amazing to share space with people virtually. We were still holding space together; we were still connecting. While nothing can replace the in-person experience, I feel so grateful that we live in a time where we have the capability to do this. I’ve been getting these questions a lot lately – “How do I create a sacred space within my home?” “How do I continue my yoga practice at home with all of the distractions & reminders of everything that needs to get done?” All GREAT inquiries. Here is a list of suggestions on how to more smoothly transition into this new world we are living in. I hope they bring you comfort.

I invite you to…….

• find one space in your home that will become your new “yoga studio”
• get creative about space! If you need to push the coffee table to the other side of the room in order to move about on your mat freely, do it!
• set up the room so it feels comfortable to you. I love sunlight, so I open up the blinds, but if that makes you feel self-conscious, close them. If you prefer a dimmer-lit studio setting, maybe adjust the lights accordingly.
• turn off your cell phone & all technology while you practice
• (if you are participating in an online class stream) close down any other windows or notifications on your computer
• (if practicing on your own) set a timer; make sure you give yourself the full amount of time set aside for yoga as you initially planned
• (if you live with other people) kindly ask them to refrain from interrupting you during your yoga practice or invite them to join you!
• give yourself the full savasana (resting pose) experience! You would probably never leave a yoga studio before savasana, so I invite you to soak up this sacred rest at home as well – you deserve it!
• get creative about props. If you don’t have a yoga blanket, no biggie! Grab towels from the linen closet for extra cushioning and comfort in your yoga practice. Instead of a yoga bolster, you can grab your pillow!
• mirror your past yoga class routine. For instance, if you always attended yoga class on Mondays at 6pm, perhaps Monday at 6pm remains your time to practice yoga at home.

Know that we are flexible human beings and while change is never easy, we do have the capability to adapt. It’s okay to honor our anxious, overwhelmed parts as we adjust to this new world, as well as our brave & resilient parts. They can sit side by side if we allow them.

We are enough, we are worthy, and we will be ok.

by Guest blogger: Colleen Caul, InspireMovement, LLC