Yoga on Your Own

This summer I've had a number of my yoga students asking me for recommendations to keep their yoga practices going while on vacation.  I've handed out a few photocopies from my favorite books and manuals, and am expanding and sharing with you some advice for practicing yoga without a teacher.  These recommendations are not for people who have never practiced yoga before, but are meant for those who have listened to the teacher's instructions enough to be generally familiar with the exercises and poses.  This is some help to organize your practice and remember what to do.

My training as a yoga teacher is in the Sivananda style of Hatha Yoga.  So here is a run down for the basic Sivananda class, which I very often use (but not always) as the foundation for the group yoga classes I teach.  The class can be divided into a few main parts.

1.  Centering yourself at the beginning of class, this can be done seated in sukhasana (sitting with legs crossed) with simple breathe focus.  If you have the time, begin with deep relaxation lying in savasana.

2.  Pranayama, or breathing exercises such as Kapalabhati or breath of fire and Anuloma Viloma or alternate nostril breathing (also know as nadi shodhana).  I won't explain how to do these breathing exercises here, but you can read the links to learn more.  Suggested cycles though are three cycles of kapalabhati with 30, 40 and 50 pumps and 10, 20 and 30 second breath retentions at the end of each round.  You should feel stimulated but not uncomfortable.  For Anuloma Viloma 10 rounds will bring a lot of focus and relaxation.  I use the breath ratio of 4 second inhale, 16 second retention and 8 second exhale.  The breathing can be done at the beginning to focus the mind and prepare the body for the deep steady breathing you will manitain for the rest of class.  If it is too hard to sit still at the beginning of class, start with sun salutations and do your breathing instead at the end of class before your final relaxation.  If you do a full pranayama sequence, rest in Savasana for a few minutes before continuing on.

3.  Suya Namaskar or Sun Salutations is our warm up.  Again, this is just a reminder of what to do, not instruction.  If the body is very cold and stiff, do some simple stretching on the floor, like pulling your kness into your chest, before you begin.  Sun Salutations are a complete practice in and of themselves.  If you do nothing more than Sun Salutations, you will work the whole body.  Do between 2 and 12 repetitions, trying to break a sweat on your upper lip.  After your Sun Salutations, rest in savasana for a few minutes. 

4.  Strengthening Exercises are now practiced, first leg lifts for the hips and torso and then dolphin push-ups for the shoulder girdle.

5.  Asanas or steady poses are now held for 5-15 breathes each with 3-10 breathes of savasana in between each pose.  There are 12 basic asanas that stimulate our bodies from head to feet, they are:

Headstand Sirshasana

Shoulderstand Sarvangasanan

Plough Halasana

Bridge (it's not one of the 12 basic, but I teach it here in the sequence
Setu Bandhasana)
Fish Matsyasana

Forward Bend Paschimothanasana

Cobra Bhujangasana

Locust Shalabhasana

Bow Dhanurasana

Half Spinal Twist ArdhaMatsyendrasana

Crow Kakasana 

Standing Forward Bend Pada Hasthasana

Triangle Trikonasana

6.  Relaxation at the end of class is the great joy of yoga, so don't skip it. It's great to set a timer and not get up for at least 5 minutes, take 10 minutes if you can and you will feel rejuvenated for the rest of the day.  Lay on your back in savasana and begin auto suggestion.  You begin with your feet, think about them and repeat mentally (silently) "I am relaxing me feet, I am relaxing my feet, My feet are completely relaxed."  Continue in this way working your way up your body to your face.  Relax also your mind, your heart and your energy until you are very relaxed all over.

7.  Closing by sitting up a focussing on your breathe and your present state of being and awareness for a few moments is encouraged.  It takes discipline and sacrifice to practice yoga and it is nice to recognize your own efforts.  You can also offer up some gratitude to the lineage of teachers that has brought this practice to you, making you the final link in an unbroken chain.  Namaste and good luck!