International Yoga Day 2022: How To Do Yoga At Home?

Each year, the 21st of June is observed as International Yoga Day. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014 and has been observed annually since then. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, had proposed the date of 21 June in his UN address in 2014, because it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and holds special significance in many parts of the world.

The theme for International Yoga Day 2022 is Yoga for humanity. On this International Yoga Day, let's take a look at how to do yoga at home.

How To Do Yoga At Home?

Practising yoga poses will not only get you to get rid of achy and inflamed muscles but also help improve the blood flow into your brain and create peace of mind. Developing a regular yoga practice can be challenging for many people. Here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Pick a time that is convenient for you

Yoga is generally considered best practised in the morning as this keeps energy levels high throughout the day. However, yoga can be practised at any time that is convenient for you. Practising yoga in the evening can refresh the mind and relieve stress that has built up all day [1].

2. Consider beginning with five minutes, five poses, or five breaths

Every breath counts when practising yoga, and no minimum duration is required. Especially if you are feeling nervous about getting started, do not overextend yourself. Instead of committing a significant amount of time upfront, begin by making small, sustainable commitments. In addition, you can start by practising just one pose and let things naturally develop from there. Observe how your body responds to movement [2].

3. Warm up before practising intense yoga poses

This is essential; otherwise, you could strain your muscles. Do a few stretches to warm up your body and improve flexibility before moving on to more intense yoga postures.

4. Pick a comfortable location

For daily yoga practice, it would be best to have a small, private room in your house. You may also choose a quiet space at home that is large enough to lay out a yoga mat where you are unlikely to be disturbed for a few minutes. Ensure your yoga space is clean, well-ventilated, and away from furniture or sharp objects [3].

5. Practice on a relatively empty stomach

Yoga postures are best performed on an empty stomach. Therefore, ensure you maintain a two to three-hour gap between eating and practising [4].

6. Wear comfortable yoga clothing

Choose loose, comfortable clothing - you would not want tight, body-constricting clothes in the way of wide stretches. Keep away any excessive jewellery you may be wearing and avoid wearing heavy makeup.

7. Consistency is important

You must practice yoga regularly. You can turn it into a habit if you make it a regular part of your daily schedule. For example, a daily yoga practice of twenty minutes is more likely to demonstrate positive results sooner than a practice of two hours occasionally.

8. Relax with Savasana

After practising yoga, allowing your body time to relax in Savasana is extremely important. As a result of the practice, the nervous system requires time to assimilate the benefits. As a result, after a yoga practice, especially after a particularly intense class, you may feel unnecessarily wired [5].

9. Include different yoga techniques

Try different yoga poses and breathing exercises. As a time-saving alternative, set aside a set of asanas that you will do every day, and then treat your body with the complete package on a Sunday. Do not forget to end your yoga practise with Yoga Nidra.

Yoga practice is more than just asanas. Aside from Pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation and Sudarshan Kriya are also integrated into the home sessions [6].

10. Consider taking online yoga classes

Online yoga classes or even videos by experts are an easy way to start practising yoga at home. Visual learning is always easy and can help you quickly grasp the poses without making errors that could potentially hurt you.

11. Enjoy your practice

It is important not to overdo it; if you do not enjoy your yoga practice, you will not continue it. Yoga should be something you look forward to. If you feel that yoga is becoming a chore, maybe you should try another style or teacher [7].