Home vs Studio practice: do I need to choose between the two?
‘SIMPLE SACRED EVERYDAY’
Welcome to my ‘Simple Sacred Everyday’ blog.
This blog will be a combination of video and transcript so I can easily share with you a range of practices, resources, ideas and tools to support you along your home practice path. I am so thrilled to have you with me for the journey!
the quiet revolution
To view the video companion to this post, please click here
Video Transcript
I've had a lot of people approach me of late asking how to make their home practice workable and meaningful while all of the yoga studios are closed. I think it's so great that we've been able to bring our practice home during this time so that we can maintain all of the benefits that we receive from a regular yoga practice.
Studio practice is just such an integral part of the way we practice yoga. By coming together, it gives us that opportunity to connect with our community and with our friends. It enables us to have contact with a teacher who can also support us along the way. We also get the benefit of the communal energy that's generated during a group class so that we step off our mat feeling really refreshed and revitalized and ready for the rest of our day.
However, I would love to think that coming out of COVID19 and the physical distancing we are currently experiencing, that perhaps some of our home practice could remain with us while still returning to the studio - that we don't need to make a choice between the two. Perhaps both of these forms of practice can inform our life because ultimately by returning to your mat, whether it be at the studio or whether it be at home, is essentially a choice that you've made to show up for you and to make that time to reconnect with your inner life.
“…perhaps our home practice can remain with us when we return to the studio.”
The benefits of practicing at home are:
it's free;
you can show up for yourself at any time of the day;
you can do whatever it is that you want to do on your yoga mat, whether it be movement or breath practice or meditation or none of those; or
maybe it's just sitting for a few moments and reflecting - it really doesn't matter what you do on your mat at home.
Again, it's really about just showing up for yourself and taking that time to just get quiet and to get intimate with yourself so that over time you start to get a clearer understanding of who you are and what is important to you in this life.
By taking this time for yourself, you really start to establish or tap into an innate wisdom and insight so that you can relate to your day from that place, rather than from that crazy cycle of stress and overwhelm, scattered-ness, despair or fear (which I definitely know all about!). For me, living in that headspace, I knew there had to be a different way – and if you're thinking to yourself, I really don't believe that there is any wisdom or insight inside of me, let me assure you there is and this practice can help you tap into it!
‘Living in that headspace, I knew there had to be another way…’
So as we come out, hopefully of the other end of COVID19 and physical restrictions, I would really love to think that we will take some of the lessons that we've learned from this enforced home practice into this next phase of our life. Just imagine how different this world would be if there were more of us showing up on our mats and leading this quiet revolution in the way that we relate to ourselves, the way that we relate to others and the way that we relate to this planet?
So these are my musings for this week. I'd really love to hear any comments, ideas, or questions that you may have. If you're really interested in exploring this home practice more and wanting to get a little more inspiration, ideas, resources to support your home practice, then you're really welcome to come and join my Facebook group. It's a private Facebook group called ‘Find your calm a home practice community’ and I would love you to join us!
Take care and with love,
Sharon
xxx..