Last week, I was in my studio at the Girls Chorus practicing singing like mad, despite my cough and sniffles.  It was great–tons of music seeped into my brain, and I hope it will spring from my cords when the time comes.

This week, not so much singing has been sung.  Instead, I’ve felt inspired (perhaps by the summery warmth we’ve had) to move and be active.  In addition to ending a long absence from running, I’ve realized I actually need to practice yoga rather than just teach it.  Heh.  To that end, I’ve been on my mat four days running and plan to keep it up indefinitely.  These are not 90 minute, studio-style sessions, but rather the amount and type of asana that fit into my schedule and my energy at the time.  Perfection.

Tools and tips for home practice:

1. Do it as soon in the day as you are able; if the inspiration strikes and the will is there, don’t squander it.  Delay too often becomes permanent.

2. Set manageable expectations.  If you don’t have time for an hour, don’t be attached to that unrealistic timeframe, but rather embrace a practice that fits the time you have.  Baby steps.

3. Use technology.  There are myriad modern means (alliteration–whee!) of accessing great yoga guidance outside a studio–often cheaply or for free.  Today, I did a 60-minute vinyasa class focused on shoulder and hip opening taught by one of my favorite teachers, Jason Crandell.  He, and many other excellent teachers, has a whole series of different practice videos available on YogaGlo.  They have a 15 day free trial, and after that it’s $18/mo for unlimited access.  I can’t recommend this site enough, but there are many others, as well as podcasts, DVDs, audio playlists, etc.  Get to streaming/downloading and practice happily!