Everything you need to Practice Yoga at Home

In recent years, the practice of yoga has become very popular, and it is not surprising given that there are numerous benefits it offers for both the body and the mind.

One of the advantages of yoga is that you can even practice yoga at home if it is more comfortable for you, in this way you have complete freedom to adapt the practice to your schedule and needs.

In this post we want to show you what you need and what you should know about how to practice yoga at home .

Benefits of yoga at home

This ancient practice is part of a very deep oriental discipline, which consists of the search for inner peace and which is linked to a healthy lifestyle. Yoga connects the body and mind, so it is more than just a physical exercise.

Certain studies confirm that its practice improves the metabolic and anabolic processes of the organism. Likewise, it favors circulation and oxygen transport processes, so we feel more energetic. Yoga also helps the functioning of the cardiovascular system and the lungs. Thanks to the exercises and postures of yoga we are able to increase our resistance and balance, which have a great role in the functioning of our heart.

In addition, greater concentration and relaxation of the body is achieved, reducing stress levels. When we practice yoga, we clear our minds, forgetting about the problems that surround us and our worries, leaving our minds blank and reducing levels of anxiety and daily stress. This creates better emotional stability that helps us face the days and we feel more relaxed.

On the other hand, we managed to tone and strengthen the muscles of the whole body. The postures performed in yoga allow us to work, in addition to resistance and balance, the strength of arms and legs. We also manage to relax and relieve muscle tension, protecting the health of our tendons.

By doing yoga correctly, executing the movements without continuous impacts, we ensure that our joints do not suffer as in other sports and that they are strengthened and remain flexible. We even managed to strengthen the pelvic floor, something that helps improve sexual relations.

Improved flexibility is another benefit. If regular practice is carried out, we manage to work on the flexibility and mobility of our joints, so we achieve greater agility in daily movements. Likewise, we manage to alleviate the discomfort or pain that bad postures caused by work, computer use, etc. may cause us.

In relation to the latter, it has been shown that the exercises performed during the practice, called asanas, relieve pain in people with various types of diseases. This is because we spend time, relax and focus all our energy on those affected areas of the body, knowing how to manage sensations and dissolving the effects of pain.

In addition, it helps us in weight loss. Performing the asanas we manage to burn extra calories that will help us lose weight. Researchers discovered that the average expense of performing an hour of yoga can burn 507 calories.

Finally, it improves hypertension, coagulation and even cholesterol. Studies have revealed that the practice of yoga frequently reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood by up to 23%. With these postures we also get the accumulation of fat in the arteries to decrease.

types of yoga

Before carrying out yoga at home , you must choose which type is the most suitable for you, for your physical condition and for your goals. Among the main types we find Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa, Iyengar Yoga, Kundalini, Nada Yoga, Nidra and Bikram. Some of them cannot be done at home, since specific conditions are needed to carry them out, as is the case with Bikram.

Although all types of yoga have the same goal, there are some more appropriate than others if you are a beginner. For example, the Kundalini, the Iyengar or the Hatha are the most appropriate to start and progress in the technique. But it will always depend on the capacity and practice of each one.

How do yoga at home

Yoga is a sport that can be done in many places, including your home. You can do yoga at home without problems, the important thing is that you feel comfortable and have enough space to move.

On the other hand, it is a gradual sport. This means that you set the pace yourself. Agility and flexibility are progressively improved, so you can gradually include new postures and exercises. In addition, the risk of suffering an injury is minimal, and you can start it when you are ready, you do not need any previous preparation or any physical condition.

1. Create a space in which you feel comfortable. The space chosen must be wide and quiet, in this way we will be able to carry out the exercises without interruptions and with total freedom. If you choose a small corner of your home and dedicate it exclusively to your practice, you will increase the chances of doing it frequently.

You can even decorate it however you want, the goal is for the atmosphere to be good. Choose the light that you like, and even a smell that is to your liking, such as candlelight. If you feel that there is too much outside noise that you cannot control, you can use earplugs. In this way you will not feel bothered by external noise and you will be calmer and free from noise.

2. Choose comfortable clothes. The clothing designed for the practice of yoga ensures comfort when performing the movements, since it is flexible clothing that allows us to move efficiently and without worrying. Ideally, it should not be too wide clothing, since it could be annoying. The important thing is that you feel as comfortable as possible. We recommend some leggings or shorts, a sports bra and a t-shirt . If you were cold, you can always include a comfortable sweatshirt or jacket that allows you to perform the movements correctly.

3. Use the necessary accessories. To practice this discipline, not much is necessary, but the use of a quality mat is recommended, to prevent certain positions from seeming annoying. In addition, there are some specific accessories to improve the performance of the exercises such as blocks and tapes that can help us in those in which we do not have enough flexibility.

You can also include some music in the sessions to add atmosphere to the place. It is clear that not any music is worth it, but you can put some that helps you relax and feel at peace, such as natural sounds of water, birds singing, etc. The sounds of nature can help us a lot in the search for peace and tranquility. If you want you can check our blog about music for yoga and download our playlist .

4 . Practice the type of yoga that best suits your preferences. There are many types of yoga, depending on the physical condition and the level of practice you have. Choose the one that is most suitable for you, so that you can practice it effectively.

5. There are channels or applications dedicated to practicing yoga. If you do not have experience in practice, there are many Internet channels and applications focused on this discipline. They can be very beneficial to learn the different postures and check if they are being done correctly, on the other hand, they also serve to perform a routine. On the internet you can find both paid and free routines, it will depend on your preferences.

Some channels like LiveStrongWoman- The Yoga Solution are perfect for beginners, as the videos are rated based on the difficulty of the sessions, and are around 15 minutes long. On the other hand, the Fightmaster Yoga channel is very useful if you want to find videos based on your goals, since there are sessions to lose weight, increase flexibility, tone up, etc.

On the other hand, there are paid pages and apps like Gaia or Omstars , which we love since you can enjoy classes of many types with the best teachers on the planet.

6. Before doing a session, you must warm up your body . Above all, it is important if you are going to perform more intense postures. By warming up 10 minutes before the start of training we will be able to avoid injuries.

7. Pick the right time. You should choose a time when you have time, when you can relax and not be distracted by external reasons. The important thing is that you enjoy the practice, if you make yoga a habit, it will cost you less to find the time of day to do it.

Also, you should focus on the quality of the exercises. It is useless to make many movements but without taking advantage of them 100%. It is preferable to take time to perform each of them and to do them correctly.

8. Forget the mobile and the distractions . At home, we have many elements that can distract us during the sessions, so it is preferable that you put the mobile on silent, and if possible, remove all those objects that can interfere and bother us while we practice yoga.

9. Don't give up. At first, you may not see all its benefits quickly, but be patient, practice yoga frequently, so that little by little you will see how its effects appear, both mentally and physically.

10. End the session with a few minutes of relaxation. Once you have finished the session, take a few more minutes to be relaxed, in silence, feeling your body relaxed.

Other tips to combine the practice of this sport

In addition to a sport, yoga is a lifestyle that is accompanied by different habits and ways of living. For example, it is closely related to a healthy life, with taking care of yourself and maintaining a healthy diet. Therefore, normally the practice of yoga is accompanied by other healthy benefits.

For this reason, yogis tend to eat healthy, quality and nutritious products. Include them daily in your meals and we are sure that you will feel better both inside and out. Eat fresh, unprocessed products full of nutrients and vitamins.

On the other hand, you should rest as necessary. Sleeping 7 or 8 hours will help us to be active enough to face the day to day. In addition, in this way you will be more rested and you will be able to practice yoga at home without effort.

In summary, the reasons to practice yoga at home are numerous. The benefits for the body and mind are evident and you don't need much to carry it out.

In any case, if you are just starting out, we recommend that you complement it with a face-to-face class from time to time in which the expert guidance of a qualified teacher will help you correct postures that you may be doing incorrectly and move forward.

We encourage you to get started in this sport that will help you connect with your inner self, while strengthening your body and relaxing your thoughts.