Yoga teachers enthuse that, ‘yoga is nothing without a home practice’. Home practice gives self-insight into how you respond to difficulty and ease, heightens self-awareness of the body, and cultivates your ability to care for yourself. But starting – or resuming – your home practice can be intimidating, hard to manage, or just plain dull. Discover these tips for starting and maintaining your home practice.

"People with a home practice are less likely to be acting under the influence of ‘ego' and more likely to listening compassionately to their body's inner wisdom and what it needs at any given time," says Ana Davis, yoga teacher trainer who teaches the women's health components of the Byron Yoga Centre level 1 and 2 courses.

1. Carve out a space for your practice

With a basket of washing, a computer and a bench full of dishes in need of cleaning watching, laying out the mat amidst the chaos is not an easy task. The warm up goes well and then, spying the dishes upside down in down face dog, you are moving towards them before you've even realised what you're doing.

Finding a physical space and specific time for your practise can help immeasurably in your home practise. You don't need a whole room, a corner will do. If you're practising near a TV or computer, throwing a cloth over them symbolically communicates that these are not a distraction.

2. Have a sequence

Choose a well-rounded sequence to be your foundation. If you've particularly enjoyed a yoga class, ask the teacher to write down the sequence of all or part of it. Chances are they will be flattered and delighted by your enthusiasm. Even better, treat yourself to a private session with your teacher who can work with you to design a home-practice just for you. A written sequence is invaluable not only for newer students who aren't familiar with the rationale of sequencing, but also for more experienced students, who can gain inspiration on dull days or give focus to frenetic practice.

As a general rule, your sequence should include one or two poses from all categories in this order: warm up and standing poses, then arm balances, inversions, backbends, twists, forward bends, restorative poses, and not forgetting to end with corpse pose (Savasana).

3. Prioritise your yoga

‘Where does the time go?' is a common lament, but what you make time for comes down to your priorities. "When you start to practice yoga regularly at home, it becomes your yoga; you start to ‘own' your practice," says Ana. "You are able to tap into the changing rhythms of your body and emotions and adjust your practice accordingly."

When you experience some tangible benefits from your home practice, you can recall this when your enthusiasm is waning and make it a priority to seek these benefits over and over again.

4. Ask yourself what you need

Make your practice an expression of your present state of mind and body. This will ensure that you will be present in your practice. "If you are feeling particularly tired or stressed, you can practise more gently and restoratively, and work with, not against your energy," says Ana. "If you were to attend a class in this fragile state, you may find that you get caught up in the ‘energy' of the class, and may be tempted to over-do it and end up burning out."

"For women, having our own home practice is a double-boon. We can choose to do a special practice during menstruation, or a ‘cooling' practice to soothe the agitation of menopausal hot-flushes."

5. Use a microscope

Your home practice is your laboratory and the subject is yourself. This is the place to examine the effects of a pose on your body-mind. You can do this by holding the pose longer than you normally would, observing your body-mind's reactions within the pose, and lying down after each pose.

"Students with a regular, committed home practice tend to show a heightened level of body awareness and sensitivity as they move through the postures," says Ana.

Each body is different - some poses in class come easily and naturally while others appear eternally illusive. If you only practise yoga in class then your easy poses will progress while the poses that you find difficult tend to stagnate, without showing much improvement.

Yoga is far cheaper than therapy. A home practice allows you to get to know your body and mind in a completely new way.

By Brook McCarthy. This article was written for Byron Yoga Centre.

Gomukhasana is an often-underestimated pose which works two of the most important parts of the body – the shoulders and hips. It is particularly appreciated in sequence before or after down-face dog poses to help relieve any tension that has crept into the shoulders and help open the shoulders further for down-face dog.

Sanskrit

Go – of cows
Mukha – face
Asana – physical posture

Benefits
Gomukhasana is a great hip and shoulder opener and can be a boon for those suffering sciatica by stretching the piriformis.

Contraindications and cautions
Knee, shoulder or neck injuries.

Opening the shoulders
It’s important to rotate the scapula, or shoulder blades, upwards or downwards before you adduct the arms. In layman’s terms, this means that if your right arm is on top, raise the right arm above the head and internally your arm in your shoulder socket so that the right palm faces behind you before you bend your right elbow. Your left arm needs to internally rotate in your shoulder socket until your palm faces left, then your left shoulder blade needs to move back slightly before you bend your left elbow and you begin to move the hands towards each other.

If you don’t involve your scapulae in the rotation of your arms before you bring your lower arms and hands towards each other, then you risk introducing too much movement to the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) which can overstretch the joint or impinge the tendons of the biceps and supraspinatus, the deep muscle running across the tops of the shoulders.

Those with tight shoulders can practice with a strap, holding one end of the strap in the hand you intend to have on top. Move slowly and deliberately, breaking down the movements in preparation for bending the elbows. Slowly take hold of the other end of the strap with the lower hand and move towards the centre line of your spine with both hands.

Keeping your lower abdominal muscles contracted during inhalations helps direct your breath into the thoracic (mid-back) region, which intensifies stretching of the shoulder structures. Be sure not to let the thoracic spine move into a backbend – pull your lower ribs in so that you are holding your spine in neutral position.

Helping the hips
Getting the legs into Gomukhasana can be a trial for those suffering excessively tight hips or thighs. A modification to help open the hips one at a time is to extend one leg out straight and bring the other leg over the top towards the ultimate position of Gomukhasana. The bent knee can be vulnerable in this position so flex the foot of that leg.

Some people find that sitting on end of a bolster helps relieve pressure on their hips; others find that the height increases pressure to the knees, caused by the pelvis going into an anterior tilt. If you find that elevating your hips intensifies pressure in your knees, then focus on dropping your inner groin toward the floor and tilt your pelvis forward. Relax your belly and direct your breath into your lower abdomen to help drop the inner groin and release the hips.

The menisci, two parts of the knee cartilage which help give the necessary structural integrity for when the knee undergoes tension or torsion, are most vulnerable when the knee joints are semi-flexed as in Gomukhasana. There should be no sustained pain in the knees during Gomukhasana and those with knee injuries or vulnerabilities should go slow and modify the pose if pain presents. An alternative leg variation is to have simply cross the legs or even straighten both legs in front of you, elevating your hips on a bolster or cushion, until the injury heals.

Whether sitting on the mat or elevated on a bolster, make sure your weight is distributed as evenly as possible between your two sit bones. In the most advanced expression of the pose, your feet will be beside your buttocks, with your feet inverted and your big toe nails touching the floor.

Therapeutic uses
For those suffering sciatica, where pain is due to muscular tension in the back of the pelvis or by compression of the sacroiliac joints, Gomukhasana can be a fantastic salve. The piriformis muscle, a deep muscle which runs diagonally across the buttocks and acts to rotate the leg outwards, is often the culprit of sciatic pain.

According to Mary Pullig Schatz in Back Care Basics, “When a short or tight priformis is stretched, it can compress and irritate the sciatic nerve ... people who habitually stand with their toes turned out often develop piriformis syndrome, as do runners and cyclists, who overuse and under-stretch the piriformis muscle.”

Gomukhasana can be combined with Raja Kapotasana (King Pigeon pose) forward bend modification and Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes pose) into a graceful ‘flow’ sequence. All three poses help stretch the muscles and nerves at back of the pelvis.

It is common in sciatica that one sacroiliac joint is stiff and the other is hyper-mobile, necessitating that one side be strengthened and the other stretched. Experiment at home, take your time and listen to your body. Don’t worry if your practice feels imbalanced, this is part of the healing process as you do what your body needs to strengthen, stretch, realign and rebalance.

References
Yoga Anatomy, Leslie Kaminoff
Out of Joint, Judith Lasater
Back Care Basics: A Doctor's Gentle Yoga Program for Back and Neck Pain Relief, Mary Pullig Schatz.

By Brook McCarthy. This article was written for Byron Yoga Centre.

Often what is least palatable is best for us. Utkatasana is such a pose. As our thighs and belly begin to burn, we may back out of the pose or take a stiff upper lip and persevere. The challenge is to persist without becoming rigid. Not only does practising Utkatasana help build stamina but, as Byron Yoga Centre teacher trainer Michael Nazar explains, it brings concentration and the stability and strength which helps all standing poses.

Sanskrit

Utkata - fierce, powerful
Asana - physical posture

Benefits
Utkatasana builds strength in the ankles, knees, calves, is therapeutic for flat feet. It is extremely effective at strengthening the quadriceps and hamstrings, which contribute to knee stability. The erector spinae muscles in the back become strong, the ankles, calves and shoulders develop greater flexibility while the heart, diaphragm and abdominal organs are toned. Utkatasana stimulates the muladhara root charka, which helps you find your path in life, put down roots and find physical and spiritual nourishment.

Contraindications and cautions
Utkatasana should be avoid by people with destabilised knees, particularly strained ligaments or damaged meniscus. Those with high blood pressure need to keep their arms lower than their heart while people with sacroiliac or lower back problems or who are menstruating should proceed gently.

Finding your body in space
Finding correct alignment between your knees and feet is important not only for developing strength and flexibility, but for avoiding injuries, particularly to your knees. Although the alignment of your torso will differ according to how deeply you squat, your knees should always be directly over the centre of your toes. While keeping the feet and knees apart in the beginner's variation makes balancing easier, keeping your ankles and knees together will help you maintain alignment.

To compensate for wobbly balance, do Utkatasana with your feet and knees together and your heels 25-35 centimetres from a wall. As you bend into the squat and hinge forward from the hips, rest the back of your pelvis against the wall. "There is a tendency for the pelvis to tip forward, which affects the movement of the spine, creating a deep curve in the lower back," says Michael. "To counter this, pull in the lower abdomen and slightly tuck the tailbone under to retain a natural lower back curve. This stabilises your centre of gravity which is between your navel and pubic bone."

The deeper you squat in the pose, the more your body must resist gravity. This requires huge strength from the quadriceps, one of the largest muscles in the body. "People with problematic knees will benefit from Utkatasana because it strengthens the muscles which support them," says Michael. "But it's important to be gentle because the lower legs bones can rotate when the knees are bent, which increases the risk of injury. Those with knee injuries should proceed cautiously, squatting shallowly and coming out if there is even a hint of knee pain."

Opening your shoulders
For those with tight shoulders, keep your hands apart as you raise your arms. "Your scapula need to move back and down your torso with your arms drawing back into the shoulder sockets, your neck long and your chest lifting," says Michael.

Extending the arms overhead allows for expanded breathing capacity which enables better concentration and prepares the mind for meditation. "Your breath should dictate the posture rather than vice versa, so if your breathing becomes grasping, uneven or restricted, you need to back out and start again," says Michael. "Aim for a natural and spontaneous breath, with even lengths between in-breaths and out-breaths."

Overcoming your Archilles' heel
In Homer's tale of Troy, the great warrior Archilles' one fatal weakness is his heel. The depth of your squat in Utkatasana is governed by the strength of your quadriceps which contact eccentrically to keep you from falling to the ground, and the length of your calve muscle and your Archilles heel, known as your Calcaneal tendon, which allows you to squat deeply while keeping you balanced. "Your upper and lower legs work together to anchor you to the ground, which cultivates a feeling of putting down roots and drawing in energy from the earth," Michael says. "When you're ready to come out of the pose, press down into the earth with your feet, and imagine the earth's energy entering the roots of your feet, into the trunks of your legs and the branches of your hands and head."

By Brook McCarthy. This article was written for Byron Yoga Centre.

Being upside down can be confronting for some. Yet the benefits are many – combating hyperactivity, stimulating metabolism, increasing cardiovascular circulation and opening the heart. Salamba Sarvangasana, or Shoulderstand, is particularly effective for people with an overactive thyroid – symptoms which include excessive talking, an inability to focus or listen, stuttering, and physical hyperactivity. As John Ogilvie, senior teacher and founder of Byron Yoga Centre explains, adopting a supported shoulder stand using a chair helps us relax and surrender to its benefits.

Sanskrit

Salamba – supported
Sarvanga – whole body
Asana – physical posture

Benefits
The areas or systems of the body to benefit from this pose are cardiovascular, lymphatic, nerves, and endocrine. The head being lower than the heart draws more oxygenated blood to the brain, opening up the heart and lungs to create space for quiet introspection. The thyroid and parathyroid glands in the neck are stimulated, helping regulate the hormones.

Working the shoulders – opening the heart
Shoulder extension is essential to helping open the chest so that the sternum can press against the lower jaw and this can press against the upper jaw. This creates traction in the neck, stabilising the neck and skull and exerting traction on the cervical vertebrae - the vertebrae of the upper spine. “You can feel your shoulder extension by standing in front of a mirror with your arms by your sides and rotating your shoulders by turning the palms outwards, thumbs away from the body,” says John. “Your chest lifts and your shoulders move back and down with the shoulder blades pinned against your back ribs. This is the position you want in Sarvangasana.”

The shoulders’ external rotators include the teres minor and the infraspinatus as well as the posterior part of the deltoid. The rhomboids, which pull the shoulder blades towards the spine, are another important set of muscles necessary to stabilise the pose. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, Bridge pose, is excellent preparation for working your shoulder extension without the full weight of your body. Using a wall for support is another great aid in opening your shoulders.

Lie with your legs up the wall in Viparita Karani and then, using your heels as leverage, lift your hips. Keep your feet together and knees bent and work your posterior deltoid by bending your elbows 90 degrees while pressing your elbows firmly into the floor. This will allow you to lift your back ribs and bring your spine vertical. When you put your hands on your back ribs, keep your upper arms parallel; if your elbows go wide, you’ll be internally rotating and will lose your ability to press down and lift up.

Hanging out – letting go
“Doing Salamba Sarvangasana using a chair is very different from the classic pose,” says John. “There are no bandhas [energy locks] involved – quite the opposite. We are seeking to enjoy the restoration and introspection that some time in this pose inspires.”

Set your chair with a blanket on the floor in front and another over its back. You can use folded blankets or a bolster on the floor in front of the chair, and either more blankets or a folded sticky mat on the chair to create more height. Sit side-saddle on the chair and swing your legs over the back of the chair. Hold onto the legs of the chair with your arms and adjust yourself until the tops of your shoulders are on the bolster or folded blankets on the floor and the neck has hardly any bend and is coming off the bolster. Your head should be straight, resting on the blanket on the floor, with your bottom on the chair. Once you are secure, you can bring your hands above your head, letting your elbows bend and your fingers move towards each other. “I like to hang out here gazing softly at my heart and letting my mind clear,” says John. “Some people may feel insecure that they may slip off the chair. Rather, they should feel supported and cocooned, and so totally relaxed.”

“This pose relates to the Vasuddha Charka, which governs our expression, the choices we make and our sense of truth,” says John. “It rinses away stuff about which we’ve been thinking and worrying. After 10 minutes in this pose, everything feels fine.”

By Brook McCarthy. This article was written for Byron Yoga Centre.

You're standing with legs spread and hips lined up. You've sucked in your belly and lengthened your spine. You bend your front leg to lower into Virabhadrasana I and your hips begin to tilt - you have lost alignment. Although quite a simple looking standing pose, a well-aligned and deep Virabhadrasana I can be most elusive, where compressed lower backs and furrowed brows among yogis abound.

But, explains Judy Krupp, co-teacher with John Ogilvie on Byron Yoga Centre's level one and two, it pays to persevere - "Virabhadrasana I is a great standing preparatory pose for backbends. It opens the upper body and strengthens the shoulders, arms, and the muscles of the back - all essential for strong backbends."

Sanskrit

Virabhadra - in Hindu mythology, Virabhadra is a powerful hero created from a hair of Shiva to lead Shiva's army against Daksa
Asana - physical posture

Benefits

Stretches the chest, upper back, lungs, shoulders, neck, abdominals and psoas (groins). Strengthens the shoulders, arms, and the muscles of the back. Strengthens and stretches the thighs, calves, and ankles.

Here we address some common challenges of the pose.

Deep curve in lower back
You've stepped nice and wide and bent deeply into the front leg, but your pelvis is tilting forward, creating a deep curve in the lower back and compressing the spine. If your front leg begins to straighten when you lift your pubis and abdominals towards the navel then tight hip flexors or psoas is likely holding you back. The hip flexors of the back leg holds the twist in the pelvis and maintain length in the front of the hips, so long psoas or hip flexors are needed to be able to bend deeply while keeping the pelvis aligned and without compressing the lower back.

"A good preparation to stretch the psoas or hip flexors is to lunge and actively lifting your back knee one inch from the ground while counteractively dropping your groin towards the ground," says Judy.

"It is important for the health and safety of the sacroiliac joint that you move the back groin around. For this you need flexibility in the hip flexors of the back leg."

Because the hip of the rear leg is hyper extended and the torso is upright, some backbend in the lumbar spine is inevitable to adapt. You can also lean the chest forward slightly if your lumbar spine tends to close down in the pose. To get the most out of the asana safely, go slow; when you feel the lower back start to tighten, back off and stay at that height. "Hold onto the alignment as much as possible, that is the most important thing," says Judy. "Your Virabhadrasana depends on the flexibility and strength of the back leg and shoulders so be patient and do lots of preparatory lunges and shoulder opening."

Those with long psoas or hip flexors can lift the pubis toward the navel, engage the abdominals to move the rib cage back and lengthen the tail toward the floor before bending the front knee. This will keep the pelvis from tilting forward. "Those who are flexible enough to stretch the psoas while working on the strength of the abdominals start to see a perfect balance emerging - a moving co-contraction with the tail bone forward and the pelvic bone back," says Judy.

Extend the spine further by strongly using the upwards and backwards lift with the hands to lift the rib cage and chest, drawing the shoulders back and down and taking excess tension off the lower back. Keep the momentum upwards, rather than worrying about extending down with the coccyx. Feel your waist, belly, and spine being energetically lifted upward, starting at the heel of back leg, running up the back leg, through the front and back of the torso, into the chest and up into the arms.

Back heel keeps rising
As with all standing poses, taking the time to align your feet correctly in the pose goes a long way towards achieving correct alignment. With both heels in a line parallel with the edge of your mat, your front foot is also parallel, at 90 degrees, and your back foot is at a 45 to 60 degree angle. If you back heel keep rises up, you can place a folded blanket under you heel in the short term.

"Strength in your back leg is vital in this pose," says Judy. Push into the feet to bring the hip of the back leg forward and the hip of the front leg back. Hold down the big toe and inside heel but lift the inner arch to help open the hip flexors. You can also use a wall to help ground through the back heel. Press strongly through the outer edge of the back heel against the wall while observing your lower back to avoid moving too forcibly.

"There is a tendency to collapse inwards with the legs in Virabhadrasana," says Judy. "Lift the arch of the back foot. Hold down the big toe and inner heel but lift the inner arch of the foot. This is important as it is connected with the groin." A strong back foot with correct alignment stretches the muscles of the outside thigh and engages the inside leg, building strength in the abductors.

Shoulders
For those with stiff shoulders, raising the arms parallel to each other can feel like agony, let alone joining the palms, as Iyengar advises. If your shoulders are tight or otherwise problematic, keep your raised arms parallel or slightly wider. You may like to move them slightly forward of the torso rather than in line with the ears.

Firm your scapulas against your back and, at the end of your inhalation, feel your collarbones broaden towards the outer edges of your shoulders. If you have neck problems, look straight ahead rather than up at the hands. Breathe deeply in to the pose, taking full advantage of the expansion you've created in chest.

Reaching the full expression of the pose with the front thigh parallel to the floor takes much diligence. Like all asanas, it's important to enjoy the journey. Always choose alignment over depth and try to find a sense of power and grace evident in this great warrior pose.

By Brook McCarthy, Yoga Reach. This article was written for Byron Yoga Centre.

One of the fundamental yoga postures, Adho Mukha Svanasana, or down face dog, is an asana that continues to evolve for both new and experienced students. It is very therapeutic, combining the benefits of an arm balance, forward bend and inversion.

When the body is in perfect balance with minimal muscle tension, the mind and body come together in pure consciousness, allowing the flow of energy or prana.

Sanskrit
Adho – downward
Mukha – face
Svana – dog
Asana – physical posture

Benefits
The main focus is to lengthen the spine from tailbone to crown and this elongation releases tension throughout the entire spinal column. With both hands and feet in contact with the floor, the posture is balancing and grounding, helping to calm and centre the mind. This posture stretches the hamstrings and gluteal region, strengthens the wrists, arms and shoulders and opens both the hips and shoulders. It is a great preparation pose.

Alignment
Begin on your hands and knees, spreading your fingers wide to distribute the weight evenly through your hands, send your seat to your heels, resting in balasana and becoming aware of your breath.

On your next exhalation, walk the fingertips out in front, lengthening out of the armpit by pushing the floor away, tuck your toes under and extend your sitting bones high to the ceiling. Create one long line with your arms and torso, from the hands through to the tail. Lifting strongly from the arms allows the pelvis and spine to lift further.

Position your feet inner hip width distance apart, pressing through thumb and forefinger to activate the hands, check the wrist creases are parallel to the top edge of the mat. Allow sufficient distance between the hands and feet to create the desired length in the spine. Bring the weight to your heels rather than applying too much pressure on the arms.

Activate the quadriceps by lifting the knee caps, relax your head and draw your shoulder blades onto the back. Hold the pose for five long inhalations and as you deepen into the pose with each exhalation, externally rotate your shoulders, creating more space between your shoulder blades. Using your shoulder muscles correctly helps keep the shoulders strong and healthy.

Challenges
The ball and socket joint of the shoulder is an unstable area and requires the four main shoulder muscles to support it. Through external rotation of the shoulders, the muscles strengthen and the cervical and thoracic spine is released, allowing the strength from the arms to move through the torso. When you rotate your arms so that the elbow crease is pointing forward, this external rotation of the shoulders also broadens the back.

The shoulder muscles work together to stabilise the joint as well as working individually. Developing strength in the supporting muscles is crucial to avoid injury or pain and also to prepare the body for more challenging poses such as chaturanga dandasana and weight bearing poses such as salamba sarvangasana, salamba sirasana and adho mukha vrksasana.

Variations
Slowly bend one knee while releasing the other heel towards the floor to stretch the calf muscle and Achilles tendon. Bend both knees slightly to relieve any tightness in the hamstrings or strain in the lower back. Even with bent knees the muscles receive a good stretch. The objective is to lengthen the spine, rather than focusing on lowering your heels to the floor.

If your shoulders are tight, practice this posture with your hands wider than shoulder width apart, or use blocks under the hands to further help open the shoulders. Doing a preparatory right angle stretch with hands on the wall at hip height are great for tight shoulders, tight hamstrings, back problems and those who are pregnant or menstruating.

For intermediate students, standing your feet on blocks helps deepens the hamstring stretch and also makes the pose more of an inversion, which is good for lifting and toning the uterus post-natal and post-menstruation. If you have wrist sensitivity, practice on your forearms or fists to alleviate pressure. Always check in with yourself and practice the most suitable variation.