Welcome to the Yoga for Everyday Life - Building a Home Practice from Scratch - Graphy. In this introduction I share a bit of my credentials and experience (which I always feel is an important part of building a teacher-student relationship!) along with my thoughts on the importance of building a maintaining a yoga home practice separate from other types of practices that we might do with others. In this Graphy, I would like to focus not only on the material and technical aspects of building a home yoga practice, but also on nurturing a mindset that will enable you to practice with joy and detachment, so your practice becomes an integral part of your life.

Welcome & introduction!

The title says it all! This chapter is meant to explore your own relationship with yoga before we actually get into the nitty gritty details (which I know you're most looking forward to, but please bear with me!). By taking some time to think about your motivation to build a yoga home practice, and your understanding of yoga as a holistic approach to a healthier, happier, more fulfilled lifestyle, you may find it easier later on to find ways to integrate your practice into your life in a sustainable manner. First, we find what's most important to us, what already comes easily to us, and we explore the ideas that we may not be very familiar with yet. Then, we step into action!

Yoga and you

Let's take a moment to look closely at the 5 points of yoga and how they come together to improve our quality of life and overall well-being!

The 5 points of yoga

The yoga industry is booming, and the number of companies and brands creating yoga props and equipment continues to increase. Just scrolling through social media, you may be exposed to countless products -- all of them marketed in a way to make you feel that they're essential. But what is it that you truly need? What is an essential, a mere nice-to-have, or simply unnecessary? In this chapter, we explore different props and how they can contribute to your practice.

What do I need to start a yoga home practice?

A yoga home practice differs from attending a class precisely on the fact that you're in control, but this can be both a good thing, and a bad thing. Different people experience different struggles, ranging from feeling like they don't have enough space at home to practice, there's never enough time, and most importantly, discipline. People often tell me that they want to practice, but can't find the will power to roll out their mat. Let's take a look at some of these struggles and a few tips that may help you overcome them.

Common struggles and how to overcome them

Several years after I first got certified to teach Classical Hatha Yoga, the Arhanta sequence continues to be my default go-to. This sequence, inspired in the Sivananda sequence, to which it adds 5 extra poses, works on the whole body and the chakra system systematically, following a specific order and structure. To some, the idea of having a set sequence may evoke rigidity, but nothing further than reality! Once you learn a set sequence, it's then up to you to use it as a base to develop your own practice, modifying and adding or removing poses according to your needs. Let's learn the full sequence first!

The Arhanta sequence: open class

If the open class feels out of reach, you can always start here. This beginner class still follows the structure and order of the Arhanta full sequence, but takes a milder approach, allowing you to start building the foundation first, before you begin to explore your edge as you deepen your relationship with each pose. This class may also serve as an example of how you can modify your Arhanta sequence according to your needs, while maintaining its structure and intregrity.

The Arhanta sequence: a beginner class

Once you have a set sequence, and once you've internalized it, you may start to feel an itch to explore the practice and to make changes depending on the day, your mood, your needs, or even your goals. In this chapter we take a closer look at the concept of modifying the original sequence while maintaining its structure while still broadening our practice and introducing variety. Here you'll find tips on how to modify the different categories within the sequence, and suggested poses that you can explore in addition.

How to modify and adapt your practice as you go?

Incorporate yoga into your daily life with this Graphy that will help you get your home practice started. I will cover the basics, including what you need, when to practice, how to get started, and what types of sequences you can use. Additionally, I will provide explanations for breathing exercises to improve wellbeing, and modifications and alignment instructions for poses to ensure they are performed correctly and safely.

Meet Lara Fernandez

What you'll get

100% access to all future chapters

Guilt-Free Scrolling?
Step this way

Contact Us

About

Follow us