This article has been supplied by Sheila Johnson, a wellness blogger who reached out to me. I love mindfulness exercises and enjoy my own Pilates and Yoga workouts at home - I think keeping physically active and limber is great for authors, who are often stuck in one position for long periods at a time - Y K Willemse
Photo via Rawpixel
By Sheila Johnson
How has the coronavirus pandemic impacted your yoga practice? If you’re like many yogis, you’ve had to shift your practice from the studio to home to comply with self-isolation orders. But practicing yoga on your own isn’t always easy, especially if you’re used to following a class instructor. Luckily, you have access to several tools that can help you keep your practice going—and even take it to the next level! From beginner-friendly yoga apps to advanced props, here are some ways to get the most out of your at-home practice.
Seek Guidance from a Pro
While you may not be able to attend your regular yoga classes, you can still access guidance from professional instructors. For example, many studios introduced live virtual training sessions so you can still enjoy a one-on-one yoga experience in your own home. Personal yoga training sessions are great for beginners who don’t know where to start, but also for more experienced yogis who are looking to improve their practice. Many yoga studios have also transitioned to offer virtual classes during the pandemic. If you’re on a tight budget, look for free online classes or search for yoga channels on YouTube.
Invest in Tech Upgrades
If you’re going to be following along with instructional yoga videos or attending virtual classes, make sure you have the right tech so you can enjoy a seamless practice. Few things are more frustrating than dealing with a buffering video, laggy live stream, shoddy internet connection, or a yoga app that constantly crashes when you’re trying to flow through a sequence. This could be a great opportunity to invest in a few tech upgrades! Treat yourself to a new smartphone and consider upgrading to a faster, more reliable internet connection.
Create Your Own Flow
If you’re ready to take your practice somewhere new, try coming up with your own yoga sequence. You’re a writer, so use your creativity to your advantage! Yoga Journal recommends familiarizing yourself with a basic yoga flow template. Begin with opening poses to wake up your muscles, move through a few sun salutations to invigorate your body, and incorporate some standing poses to prepare your body for backbends, inversions, and twists. When it’s time to wind down your session, choose some calming poses such as seated meditation and corpse pose. Use these building blocks to build and shape your own practice!
Try a Few Props
Incorporating yoga props into your practice is an excellent way to take things to another level. If you’re a beginner, yoga props can help you build strength, balance, and flexibility as you learn your way around different poses. Many beginners use props as a source of support in difficult bending and reaching poses. If you consider yourself an experienced yogi, props can add an element of challenge to balance poses, and can even help you get the hang of those trickier poses that have always eluded you. Some great props to add to your at-home practice include bolsters, blocks, straps, and a yoga wheel.
Schedule Time for Yoga
Your yoga practice is one of the most important parts of your day. Practicing yoga can help you cope with pandemic-related stress, maintain your physical fitness while gyms are closed, and keep your mind healthy while you’re hunkered down at home. It’s easy to let healthy habits slip when you’re experiencing drastic changes to your daily routine, so make sure you schedule time for yoga every day. You could even use goal-setting apps to monitor your progress over time! And don’t forget that you’ll benefit from keeping your yoga space as tidy as possible; clutter can make you anxious, so be mindful of your surroundings.
How Yoga Can Help Writers and Others in Creative Industries
If you still don’t feel inspired to start a home-based practice, consider this: While yoga has physical and mental health benefits for everyone, it offers unique advantages to writers and other people who work in artistic fields. For one thing, the mindfulness component of yoga can boost your creativity, and for another, taking on a challenging variation of a pose pushes you to find a new perspective. Both of these perks can benefit your writing immediately after a yoga session, and the more you practice, the more you’ll notice them over the long term.
While many people (writers included!) have had to put their lives on hold during the pandemic, your yoga practice doesn’t have to take a hiatus. Enjoying a productive home yoga practice is easier than you may think! With a few simple tools, and maybe even the help of a great virtual instructor, you’ll be back on the mat in no time.
For more articles that can benefit writers from all walks of life, stop by Writer Sanctuary
How has the coronavirus pandemic impacted your yoga practice? If you’re like many yogis, you’ve had to shift your practice from the studio to home to comply with self-isolation orders. But practicing yoga on your own isn’t always easy, especially if you’re used to following a class instructor. Luckily, you have access to several tools that can help you keep your practice going—and even take it to the next level! From beginner-friendly yoga apps to advanced props, here are some ways to get the most out of your at-home practice.
Seek Guidance from a Pro
While you may not be able to attend your regular yoga classes, you can still access guidance from professional instructors. For example, many studios introduced live virtual training sessions so you can still enjoy a one-on-one yoga experience in your own home. Personal yoga training sessions are great for beginners who don’t know where to start, but also for more experienced yogis who are looking to improve their practice. Many yoga studios have also transitioned to offer virtual classes during the pandemic. If you’re on a tight budget, look for free online classes or search for yoga channels on YouTube.
Invest in Tech Upgrades
If you’re going to be following along with instructional yoga videos or attending virtual classes, make sure you have the right tech so you can enjoy a seamless practice. Few things are more frustrating than dealing with a buffering video, laggy live stream, shoddy internet connection, or a yoga app that constantly crashes when you’re trying to flow through a sequence. This could be a great opportunity to invest in a few tech upgrades! Treat yourself to a new smartphone and consider upgrading to a faster, more reliable internet connection.
Create Your Own Flow
If you’re ready to take your practice somewhere new, try coming up with your own yoga sequence. You’re a writer, so use your creativity to your advantage! Yoga Journal recommends familiarizing yourself with a basic yoga flow template. Begin with opening poses to wake up your muscles, move through a few sun salutations to invigorate your body, and incorporate some standing poses to prepare your body for backbends, inversions, and twists. When it’s time to wind down your session, choose some calming poses such as seated meditation and corpse pose. Use these building blocks to build and shape your own practice!
Try a Few Props
Incorporating yoga props into your practice is an excellent way to take things to another level. If you’re a beginner, yoga props can help you build strength, balance, and flexibility as you learn your way around different poses. Many beginners use props as a source of support in difficult bending and reaching poses. If you consider yourself an experienced yogi, props can add an element of challenge to balance poses, and can even help you get the hang of those trickier poses that have always eluded you. Some great props to add to your at-home practice include bolsters, blocks, straps, and a yoga wheel.
Schedule Time for Yoga
Your yoga practice is one of the most important parts of your day. Practicing yoga can help you cope with pandemic-related stress, maintain your physical fitness while gyms are closed, and keep your mind healthy while you’re hunkered down at home. It’s easy to let healthy habits slip when you’re experiencing drastic changes to your daily routine, so make sure you schedule time for yoga every day. You could even use goal-setting apps to monitor your progress over time! And don’t forget that you’ll benefit from keeping your yoga space as tidy as possible; clutter can make you anxious, so be mindful of your surroundings.
How Yoga Can Help Writers and Others in Creative Industries
If you still don’t feel inspired to start a home-based practice, consider this: While yoga has physical and mental health benefits for everyone, it offers unique advantages to writers and other people who work in artistic fields. For one thing, the mindfulness component of yoga can boost your creativity, and for another, taking on a challenging variation of a pose pushes you to find a new perspective. Both of these perks can benefit your writing immediately after a yoga session, and the more you practice, the more you’ll notice them over the long term.
While many people (writers included!) have had to put their lives on hold during the pandemic, your yoga practice doesn’t have to take a hiatus. Enjoying a productive home yoga practice is easier than you may think! With a few simple tools, and maybe even the help of a great virtual instructor, you’ll be back on the mat in no time.
For more articles that can benefit writers from all walks of life, stop by Writer Sanctuary
