As an Iyengar Yoga Teacher, I am required to have a home practice. I am also required to study with a mentor, and believe me, she can tell if I have been practicing or not. Practicing on our own is very different than taking a class.

I would like to encourage you to commit to having your own, at home, practice. Especially during this holiday season when you can't always make it to class. Find some time before you go to bed, or when you first wake up to do a brief practice. The Sanskrit word for practice is Sadhana.

"Sadhana is the practice of meditation in motion, and this practice is like a lotus. Deeply rooted in the mud, the lotus expresses its essence in an exquisitely beautiful flower. Like the unfolding of the lotus petals, the application of sadhana must be both gradual and continual in your life, abiding within the cyclical rhythms of nature. These practices hold the promise of making every moment a meditation. As a result, you become awakened to your purpose and your individual memory, inviting full recognition of the self as sacred.” ~ Bri Maya Tiwari

Your home practice does not have to look like a yoga class. It could be whatever you want it to be. The hardest part is just rolling out your mat and getting on it. But, if you do roll out your mat and get on it, something will happen.

What do you want to work on? Standing poses? Inversions? Hamstrings? Twists? Forward Bends? Back Bends? Restorative Poses? Start with an idea and follow where it takes you.

If you feel tired, start with some supine poses. These poses recharge your batteries.

If you start with a pose and it feels really hard, think about what you need to do to warm up for that pose and after you do that, try the pose again. Then let your curiosity take you on a journey.

At first you will be surprised at how much you don’t know about how to do the poses. But this is good, it will make you pay more attention in class next time.

I recommend starting with Supta Padangusthasana (Reclined Hand to Big Toe Pose) and see where it takes you. It’s a great beginning for Standing poses, Hip Openers and Twists.