How to Practice

What inspires you to roll out your mat and begin? How do you start? There aren’t really any wrong answers to either question. For me, the answer is different every day. When I’m planning classes, I often find inspiration out in nature…hiking, running, snowshoeing. Sometimes it’s the way a tree is moving in the wind, or the way my dog frolics in the snow. Or the words of a friend who is outside with me. Or simply the space that opens in my head and heart while my body is working its way up a hill in the quiet cold of a February afternoon. Sometimes it’s a thorny and stubborn injury which invites me to explore ways to find relief from pain. Sometimes it’s a single pose that calls to me for no particular reason, and I’m off.

I’m learning more and more to get out of my own way and trust myself. If I have too much of an agenda when I step on my mat either to practice, or to plan a class, I end up feeling like something is missing. When I have no ideas for practice, I begin with sun salutations and let it evolve from there. But, what if you are a new student, and want to begin a home practice? It can be overwhelming, knowing where to start when you are at home with only your own inner voice and whatever you can remember from class to guide you.

I usually tell students, start with what you remember. Jot things down after class, if you are a note taker (I am). Give yourself permission to begin even if you feel like you don’t know anything. Over time you will find that ideas and poses and themes and whole practices come to you in all manner of ways. Begin with one pose, let yourself enjoy the journey, and see what happens.