Iyengar Yoga: National Association of the United States

Welcome to the IYNAUS Blog and our first topic, Home Practice.

Periodically we'll select a topic and ask our members to submit based on that theme. Posts can be as short or long as you'd like, and may have images, links, videos – all the things you see in other blogs.

Each post is open for comments. We encourage you to participate by reading, writing and responding.

We've started you off with two essays:

Home Practice

By Diana Jacaman

Posted: 1-12-10

When I moved to Texas two years ago I became so intent on giving as many classes as possible that I found myself feeling overexerted and unbalanced from not making time for my personal practice. After resolving to stick to my personal practice, despite giving up a couple of classes, I confirmed what all my teachers have professed: that it is through home or personal practice that we most learn those insights about our bodies and our minds which allow us to move forward as students and teachers of Yoga.

So, when pressed for time I'll practice Adho Mukha Svanasana, Sirsasana, Sarvangasana and Paschimottanasana and after half an hour feel energized and balanced enough to explore the day's challenges. And then on a given Sunday I'll be so free and loose that I can go well into a 3-hour practice with the luxury of a restorative session at the end.

The thing is to make time daily to explore how I can approach that asana which gives me the most trouble, working my way through the sequence that will make it more accessible; or simply connecting with that family of poses and sequence which I may need today for whatever reason. Ultimately it's about getting to know myself, strengths and weaknesses, on this path of self discovery and rejoice in all the gifts uncovered on the way.

Happy Surya Namaskar!!

Diana Jacaman lives in San Antonio, Texas.

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Home Practice

By Peggy Hong

Posted: 1-9-10

This past fall, when I finally became an empty nester after my third child left for college, I signed up for nearly every workshop in my region: Laurie Blakeney in Milwaukee, Manouso Manos in Chicago, Lois Steinberg in Urbana, Chris Saudek in Madison… I even registered for a weekly yoga class. I was eager to make up for lost time, when I had to take care of so many needs of so many other people.

I learned tons, filling my study notebook, learning variations of asanas, and getting many insights into my own practice. The fall culminated in a week visiting my daughter in New York City and taking class a couple of times each day at the Institute.

However, I understood something on a new level this fall: practice must take precedence over study. That is to say, it's important to supplement our practice with feedback and new perspectives. But we must not allow the study to overwhelm the personal practice.

I knew I had reached an unhealthy over-saturation point when my own practice began suffering. I was neglecting the specific needs of my own idiosyncratic body. While studying with a variety of stellar teachers this fall, I didn't have adequate time to process and incorporate my learnings into practice. I didn't even have time to look at all the notes I had written. I didn't have enough time to work on asanas and parts of my body that need extra attention. I was operating under someone else's agenda rather than my own.

This fall was a great lesson in trusting my own initiative and insights. Weekly class and an occasional workshop are terrific, but only if we maintain a deep and engaged personal practice foundation. I'm sure you have found, as I have, over the years, that the further we go on the yoga path, the more we need to practice, not less. In the beginning, 20 minutes of home practice sufficed. It grew into 30 minutes, an hour, and now 2 hours is not enough; 3 is ideal in order to include pranayama.

The Pune schedule of morning practice and daily class makes complete sense. We balance the study with personal practice and application of information and insights. We listen to our teachers, but we also listen to our own bodies. Some traditions of yoga emphasize daily class as a form of personal practice. I encourage my students to come to class once or twice a week instead of every day, and instead, to practice at home daily.

As an empty nester, I have consolidated my teaching schedule so that I have 3 days off. On these days, I enjoy leisurely practice, getting to those poses that take a lot of time or set-up, trying the same pose many ways, looking over notes and reviewing what I have learned, and much more. I still attend workshops with senior teachers of course, but not at the expense of my own practice.

As Guruji points out, we are not doing yoga until we are practicing on our own. Self-discipline and self-knowledge must balance teachings from others. We ultimately have to do it on our own.

Peggy Hong lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is certified at the Intermediate Junior I level.

Karen Allgire from Cleveland Heights, Ohio writes to say:

I enjoyed your insights in this essay, Peggy. I especially appreciate your note that you encourage your students to take class once or twice a week, and to practice every day. It is a model that some students are not used to, especially if they come from studio that use a pass or class card system. I like to remind my students that my job is to train them so that they can practice intelligently at home.

Thanks also for your clarity about the balance of study and practice.
Nedra from Kokomo, Indiana writes to say:

I enjoyed your blog about the need for a home practice. I find my home practice lacks imagination! I do not challenge myself enough and I don't understand why. I liked that you include the poses that you do when you are pressed for time. I think that's exactly what I need to do. Anything, but with awareness, and be patient with myself.

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Home Practice

By Adriana DeFranco

Posted: 1-6-10

My home practice developed after years of taking classes, with teachers that taught me to understand the poses and the benefits of each one of them.

Over time, I felt that in class I had to do what the teacher was teaching although it was not always what my body and/or mind needed. Eventually I realized that in my home practice I could attend to my own needs.

The beauty of practicing yoga at home is that all that I need is a place to put my mat and 3 blankets… no special room, no particular setup.

Some days my practice takes 2 hours, other days just 15 minutes of inversions, others 30 minutes of restorative and sometimes it's falling asleep in a restorative asana. I know that while starting any of them I will feel better after the practice.

Namaste.
Adriana

Adriana DeFranco lives in São Paulo, Brazil. She is certified at the Introductory level.

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Home Practice

By Mary Beth Early

Posted: 1-5-10

Doing a home practice. It's a long time now, and practice has become my regular solace and challenge, and not so much a daily obsession as it once was. Being older and having physical problems is part of this change. One learns to be kind (thanks, Anna) to self (body and spirit) and to seek the practice that meets the needs of the now.

For beginners, I agree, just begin. And for the rest of us also, just begin. It does come. It becomes different. The gifts may be just what you need, and not what you thought you needed.

Whatever the day's (short or long, restorative or active) practice, my suggestion is to end not just with savasana, but also with gratitude, remembering that yoga is a gift to self, with a long history, that many teachers have brought us here to this day, this time on the mat. Namaste.

Mary Beth Early lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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Home Practice: Pathway to Practice

By Anna Delury

Posted: 1-1-10

Practice is all about getting started. Set aside all the other cares in life with grace and awareness. Surrender to practicing. Begin.

Let practice be practice. It won't feel like class. The buzz of the group, the dynamics of the teacher, the words filling your head aren't there. Practice is a journey you take by yourself.

"Deserving" is a hidden barrier for many of us. The story goes like this: "I have so much to do, so many pressing obligations. Others are depending on me." But … what about your health, your balance, your growth? You deserve a practice which is good for you, which makes you a better you for others.

Live inside your practice. Let your practice live inside of you. That way you aren't just a visitor and yoga is not just a casual friend.

Focus on what you gain: stability, balance, strength, endurance, pain management, clear-headedness, well-being. What do you value most in your practice? Carry it with you.

Plan ahead. Use your planner, calendar or computer schedule, and make an appointment with your practice. Making practice periods real makes them do-able. Be realistic. In the natural rhythm of the day, look for 10 to 15 minutes that can be consistently yours. Hold these times as sacred. Now, during the fury of the week, the time you need is already there, waiting for you.

Find a space. It can be small, a corridor beside your bed; it might be large, a room. Just make it pleasant so it invites you in. Keep your books, notes, a prop basket there, encouraging you to come close.

Know yourself. Some of us practice only when things are bad; others only when all is going well. Put aside fear, concern, mood, and practice regardless.

Set your mind. When I first think about practicing I let my mind carry me to what I love in yoga so that I am already there: I have started and my body follows right behind.

Create a ritual. Try this: Start every practice the same way -- with the invocation or the same pose -- so that a clear demarcation between the world and practice exists. Enter your practice with faith.

Start small. If you are just learning to practice, begin with one or two poses you like. And be satisfied for the time being with that. It takes time to build physical as well as psychological stamina. Practice evolves and grows. Be patient.

Mix it up. If you always practice only what you "feel" like, switch it up and do a sequence from Light On Yoga or a recent class. If you only do what you are told to do, stop. Listen to what your inner world is requesting.

If you miss your practice don't beat yourself up. Don't punish yourself with shame and recrimination. It'll backfire on you. Instead, do a pose or reschedule a time when you can snatch a few minutes to do one or two poses. Confirm your next scheduled practice time. We all get thrown; the important thing is to get back on track as fast as you can.

Take a day off, the same day every week. Even if you had to miss another day, keep your day off. In the hustle and bustle of modern life we forget that even God took a day off. This day builds a psychological desire for more yoga that nourishes the coming week's practices.

If all else fails, sneak it in. I have a husband. He is the antithesis of a yoga practitioner. The other day I couldn't find him. My boys and I searched all over the house. Later he walked through the back door looking rather blissful and relaxed.
"Where were you?" I asked.
"In the studio practicing," he said. "I did a pose".
"But you've been gone an hour," I said.
"Well it was a good pose," he said. "Then I took a nap."

To thrive, be kind….to yourself. Rigor comes from this nurturing. Have faith. Be patient. It will come.

Just start.

Anna Delury lives in Studio City, California with her family and their dog Buster. She is certified at the Senior Intermediate II level.

gary from New York writes to say:

thanks for including your family in your encouraging message on home practice. as with almost everything else, family and yoga practice cannot be mutually exclusive. how could we not want our families involved somehow or other in our practice?
namaste, and be well happy, healthy new year!
Helena from Milwaukee writes to say:

inspiring words :)
Deborah from Lake Worth writes to say:

Fun article - and it made me think to put a time slot in my iPhone for practice like my other appointments. And a very cool husband!
Rosa Santana from Hallandale Beach, FL writes to say:

My practice has evolved according to my situation. When my kids were little, I would practice in the living room with them crawling all over me. They would through Light on Yoga, would find a pose, and say: That's easy. I can do what Mr. Iyengar can do too, and they would do it, laugh out loud and go and play in their room. (I had a special box of toys that only came out while I practiced.)I could hear them in the background, but I would still enjoy my savasana. Now that they are teenagers, they like to practice with me, but only poses they like, and they especially like to stay in restorative poses with support. My husband likes to watch soccer in Supta Baddha Konasana with support and likes to say he's doing yoga while he watches soccer. Now my practice has become my time for Bhakti Yoga. My poses feel like a prayer to the divine.
anna pavlich connelly from Malibu, CA writes to say:

Thanks Anna, I needed that! xxoo
Kimberly W White from Chicago, IL writes to say:

WOW! Thank you for blogging. Your thoughts and reflections were very helpful.
Greta L. Kent-Stoll from San Francisco, CA writes to say:

What I find to be surprising about the progression of practice is the things that bother you once you 'achieve' a pose--the issues that surface as your practice becomes more refined. For instance, recently I was able to 'get into' Eka Pada Sirsasana, and surprisingly the pose itself came readily~more so than I predicted. However, what bothered me was the sheer weight of my leg on the back of my neck once in the pose. Legs are heavy and the neck is delicate. So, rather than delighting in my so-called accomplishment, I was wondering what the to do about the pain in my neck! I guess that's the next step...
Adina from Philadelphia, PA writes to say:

Dear Anne and Richard,
It was great reading your essays on home practice. I like to think of "nesting " when I do my practice. I have not had children in this lifetime ,but when I practice I gather my props that I want to use in the moment and love to start with the Invocation to Patanjali to quiet and ground myself and in this way I am giving time over to parenting/caring for myself too.

I love to start with different seated positions at each practice depending on my knee condition, feet or digestion. I like to sit-its easy :) from there I can do my neck and shoulder asanas and open up my chest and lengthen my spine while seated well on my sitz bones on my block-then into another relaxing pose adho mukha virasana and onward and upward to standing,and repeating neck/shoulder-repeating is always great-slowly info starts to sink in, inversions and etc...

I think this discussion of practice is a very good thing for us teachers and practitioners of Iyengar Yoga. I'll probably get flack for this next statement, but I tell my students if they are not attempting to start a practice for 15 minutes a day with one pose -or that they can break it up to 5 min 3x a day with 1 or 3 poses- or whatever they want to do,then they are not practicing Iyengar Yoga students -they just do yoga -anyway-go ahead and yell at me ,but the precious knowledge that is our Teacher and Mr Iyengar has so generously shared it with all of us, comes from his ongoing nonshirking,effortless/effort asana practice along with the rest of the remaining Yoga Sutras and -so, as an Iyengar student/teacher I want to try to follow his example as best to my ability as I can and hope to find knowledge of my true self through my asana practice and the practice of the rest of the Yoga Sutras too . Thank you Anne and Richard,Adina/Dina
Rebecca Lascoe from Calabasas, CA writes to say:

Thank you Anna for the reminder!
Rebecca
Tanya Petrovna from Palm Springs, CA writes to say:

I like reading all the posts, though now yet another vritti to keep me from home practice :-). Think it's a great Iyengar community builder and especially for those of us on the outskirts of city hubs. Some quick hits of inspiration when you need it!

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Home Practice: Starting Now

By Richard Jonas

Posted: 1-1-10

Home Practice is the core of yoga. Class is great -- but there is more, much more to yoga. Practicing on your own is too important to miss out on. When you begin to practice at home you really learn, really experience the transformative effects of yoga -- on body, mind and spirit.

How can you get a Home Practice? Get up tomorrow -- practice -- then do it every day after that. If that sounds daunting, here are some hints that might help you get started and stay with it.

Start slow. Students tend to set the bar too high when they start a Home Practice. If they don't make it through an hour of perfectly sequenced poses, they get disappointed and give up. Instead, do a few poses that you know and feel confident with. When you've finished, lie down for a five-minute Savasana. Ten minutes and you've got a Home Practice!

Be disciplined. Make Home Practice a priority. Do it every day. Keep with it for two weeks, then see if you feel better, physically and mentally. See if it gets easier. Pretty soon your 10-minute practice will grow to half an hour. Give yoga some space and time, and it will make a place for itself in your life.

Time and place: Choose a time of day and a place where you won't be disturbed. If you can, set aside the same time each day. First thing in the morning is good; wait until later and you might get caught up in your schedule. In the morning the body may be stiff, but the mind is quiet and receptive -- very important. If afternoons or evenings work better for you, practice then.

Do what you know. Start with a familiar asana like Adho Mukha Virasana, (Downward Facing Virasana). Follow with a few standing poses: Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle), Utthita Parsvakonasana (Side Angle Pose) and Virabhadrasana II (the second Warrior Pose). Finish with a seated forward bend, maybe Paschimottanasana, or lie with your legs up the wall. Then rest for several minutes: even if you're short of time, always practice Savasana (Corpse Pose).

Cultivate the voice inside, the teacher inside yourself. (Maybe at first you'll hear your class teacher's voice reminding you to lift your kneecaps or extend your elbows.) If you're not sure about something, ask your teacher later. If it doesn't feel right, stop. Don't do poses you don't feel confident with; save them for class when you can be supervised.

Work by the book. B. K. S. Iyengar's Light on Yoga is the bible of modern yogis in every method; Geeta Iyengar's Preliminary Course has detailed, step-by-step instructions and drawings to help you through the poses. The Mehtas' Yoga the Iyengar Way has big color photos.

When you've been self-practicing awhile, you might try this: After your next class, try to remember the poses your teacher taught and write them down, in order. If you don't know the names, describe them or draw a little sketch. The more you do this, the easier it becomes. Then next day, recreate the sequence -- or part of it -- at home on your own. See if you can remember the points your teacher made. When you do poses a second or third time -- when you become your own teacher -- the learning deepens; the experience becomes more profound, and more truly your own.

Props: Buy a mat and three blankets (you'll need them for Salamba Sarvangasana, Shoulder Balance, vital to your practice). A belt and a block or two are very useful. Use a timer to build up time in your inversions.

Sequencing the postures: Generally begin with standing postures, then go on to inversions, backbends, twists and forward bends. Often Sarvangasana is done towards the end of a sequence. If you do Sirsasana (Head Balance), it must be followed with Sarvangasana or another pose (such as Setu Bandha) which creates the Jalandhara bandha, the conjunction between the chin and the top of the sternum.

Do the pose every way. Try the pose many different ways. For example, do Utthita Trikonasana with your front foot up the wall -- with the back heel at the wall -- with your back to the wall. The goal isn't to find the way that works best for you, then always do it that way. Experience the pose from every angle. Learn all about it. We want to be as familiar with these poses as with a room we know so well that we can walk around it in the dark, without bumping into the furniture. In time, the poses become a template we can use to explore our minds, our senses, our emotions, our place in the world and our relationship to the Higher Power.

Richard Jonas has Introductory certification. He is a faculty member at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York and vice president of the IYNAUS Board of Directors.

Barbara Harris from Boise, ID writes to say:

My home practice is a gift I give myself. Once I go into my room and hit the matt it is an immediate relief. During and after the practice that sense of joy and well being are always there.That being said, why do I then find myself engaging in stalling behavior on the way? Is that what Tomasic energy is? I have learned just to ignor the pull to sit on the couch, or to convince myself that I am too tired right now, and just keep going until I am actually on the matt. As the years go by I now win almost every day. Gratefully
Lisa Jo Landsberg from Boulder, CO writes to say:

I love the blog! Great comments on practice. I am just returning to a deeper practice after several weeks rehabilitating a broken foot. My journey through this injury, and other surgery in the last year reminds me of the importance of practice even when you can't do what you are used to doing, when you can't stand on your feet, when your body hurts a lot, when it is frustrating or incredibly difficult (moreso than usual). Sometimes my practice consisted of Viparita Karani and Savasana because it is all my body could do. Consistency, simplicity and devotion were the keys to me making it through the injuries and obstacles. Kudos to IYNAUS for creating the forum! Connection and communication helps us all. Love and peace, Lisa Jo
Laurie from New York, NY writes to say:

The home practice sequences recently posted on the website are a wonderful gift for the new year! While I regularly practice at home, I repeat the same poses too often and lack insight into effective sequencing. The suggested sequences offer a rich set of options. Thank you.
Carol W Nichols from Quincy, IL writes to say:

Thank you!!!
This is a great source for motivation and instruction. A Blessed New Year to the contributors and staff. Namaste, C. Nichols
Deborah Hay from New York, NY writes to say:

My husband and I didn't start studying Iyengar yoga until a couple of years ago, when we were 60 and 54, respectively. We attended weekly Level 1 classes for a year without giving much thought to practicing at home, frankly. But then we noticed that Richard Jonas was giving a workshop in Home Practice; we signed up and it was great. Richard's easygoing approach and his class handouts with suggestions for short sequences to do at home were just what we needed to get started. We bought a few props and soon found that even a little homework goes a long way. It affords you a chance to improve upon a pose that was particularly challenging in class that week, focus on any particular weaknesses you may have (tight hamstrings, flat feet, whatever), and just generally broadens your consciousness. We keep the Mehtas' illustrated book nearby for reference.
Christine Nounou from New York, NY writes to say:

Home practice is very difficult for me. While I have a special place and time, I cannot seem to maintain my focus... do trikonasana and then check the stew, a little parsvakonasana and make coffee; move into ardha chandrasana and DARN, I forgot to answer that e-mail.

How do others handle this?
Susan TURIS from Brooklyn, NY writes to say:

I remember having that problem too. I can't say that my focus problem is solved but someone wrote something that really hit home for me, if he went to his computer before his practice he was doomed. I started to notice those things that undermined my intentions. so, I took my tea with me to practice, I may still stop and throw a load in the dryer and come back to my practice, etc. I came to realize that my home practice was not to replace a class. I used to compare my experiences in class and my at home experiences. I felt less satisfied and sometimes irritated by my lack of discipline. Try not to be so hard on yourself. Patanjali says that we must practice for a long time, uninterrupted and with devotion. I take that to mean over many years and with compassion for myself being imperfect. There are many practices which I focus better and then others I am more mechanical. The important thing is that you keep returning to the mat...Insights will come. And your home practice will become your own...
Denise Malausséna from Paris, France writes to say:

Thank you Richard for your excellent blog entry.
There is a gentleness in your writing, yet your words are so effective. Instead of feeling anxious, I felt enthusiastic about starting a home practice without that little voice saying that I will never stick to it. I have been attending Iyengar classes for almost a year, and only lately have I found myself wishing that I had done a few poses at home the day before, wishing that my body felt more open so I could benefit even more from my teacher's presence. After reading this blog I went online and ordered by blocks, belts and blankets.

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories!
Namaste, Dee Dee
Netta Sella from Urbana, IL writes to say:

I recently moved to Illinois to study with Lois Steinberg. I keep my yoga space at home clean and organized but I find it much easier to do my self-practice away from home. The students of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Champaign-Urbana have the access to two of the most beautiful and well-equipped studios one would ever dream of. While I walk over there during these dark, snowy Midwestern days, I build my morning practice. No phones nor computer will pull me off my mat in this yoga oasis. My recommendation for the easily distracted mind: spread your mat in an isolated place and leave your cell phone behind. The point is not "home practice" but rather "self-practice." Good Luck!
Peggy Hong from Milwaukee, WI writes to say:

regarding distractions and procrastinating: i confess i check my email first thing in the morning. then i turn the computer off! regardless there are other distractions--hunger, thirst, adjusting the thermostat, fuss, fuss, fuss. but at least i answered that niggling email and can settle for an hour or so.
Gail O'Neill from Atlanta, GA writes to say:

Richard,
After reading your blog last week I took to my mat solo for the first time (I've been practicing yoga for 15 months), but all I felt was a profound sense of loneliness... coupled with an impatience with the entire exercise.

Is it undesirable to wish for the sense of community that comes with group learning? Have I grown too dependent on being spoon-fed insights gained by my instructors in their individual practices? Does my preference for watching a movie in a packed theater, as opposed to all alone at home, indicate some maladjustment on my part?

Hmmm… as the image of an Emperor penguin chick being forced to transition from the good life on her parent's claws to motoring about on her own steam keeps coming to mind, I guess I've answered my own questions. In spite of my aversion to change, it's time for me to step off and find my way with all the tools I've been given thus far.

Thanks for the ride!
Namaste, Gail
Denise Malausséna from Paris, France writes to say:

In response to Gail's entry, perhaps it would help to see your home practice as an entirely different activity from your yoga class. For example, you wouldn't choose to go to the opera and then come out feeling disappointed because it just wasn't the same as going to the movies. Each has its own distinct atmosphere, energy and merits, yet both can be appreciated. So maybe just a shift in your expectations will help you to accept the differences, and eventually even to cherish them as you discover the hidden joys of home practice.
Namaste

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IYNAUS Blog - January 2010

Home Practice

Home Practice

Karen Allgire from Cleveland Heights, Ohio writes to say:

Nedra from Kokomo, Indiana writes to say:

Home Practice

Home Practice

Home Practice: Pathway to Practice

gary from New York writes to say:

Helena from Milwaukee writes to say:

Deborah from Lake Worth writes to say:

Rosa Santana from Hallandale Beach, FL writes to say:

anna pavlich connelly from Malibu, CA writes to say:

Kimberly W White from Chicago, IL writes to say:

Greta L. Kent-Stoll from San Francisco, CA writes to say:

Adina from Philadelphia, PA writes to say:

Rebecca Lascoe from Calabasas, CA writes to say:

Tanya Petrovna from Palm Springs, CA writes to say:

Home Practice: Starting Now

Barbara Harris from Boise, ID writes to say:

Lisa Jo Landsberg from Boulder, CO writes to say:

Laurie from New York, NY writes to say:

Carol W Nichols from Quincy, IL writes to say:

Deborah Hay from New York, NY writes to say:

Christine Nounou from New York, NY writes to say:

Susan TURIS from Brooklyn, NY writes to say:

Denise Malausséna from Paris, France writes to say:

Netta Sella from Urbana, IL writes to say:

Peggy Hong from Milwaukee, WI writes to say:

Gail O'Neill from Atlanta, GA writes to say:

Denise Malausséna from Paris, France writes to say:

Satsang «

— B.K.S. Iyengar