Om for Less

By Shanon Lyon

Yoga isn't about pricey classes or equipment. It's about you and your practice.

3. Om at Home
Starting a home practice can be intimidating, but it’s also one of the best ways to save a little dough. Find a home practice weekend workshop in your area. Then set up a consistent time and space to do it on your own. Then set up a consistent time and space to do it on your own. If you’re diligent, the practice will soon become routine. Two other benefits: Your solo "class" will always be targeted to your needs, and you can make it longer or shorter, depending on the time you have available. “Go there no matter what,” says Manfredi. “It doesn’t have to be a full practice every time you go to your mat. Do what you can and just enjoy it.”

If you currently practice in a studio and want to take your yoga home, Gumucio suggests taking an in-studio class with your eyes closed. Once you eliminate the visual cues of the studio, he says, it’ll be a bit easier to Om at home. (You may want to keep your eyes closed at home, too. This way, you won’t be distracted by loads of laundry or stacks of bills.)

Check out these upcoming workshops to kick-start your home practice:   
West
Home Practice Workshop with Lisa Holtby
Seattle Yoga Arts, Seattle, WA
Saturday, April 26, 2008

4th Annual Home Practice Workshop
Blue Heron Yoga, Durango, Colorado
Saturday, May 3, 2008

South
Home Practice Workshop
Inner Life Yoga, Morgantown, West Virginia
Friday, May 23, 2008

Midwest
Creating Your Home Yoga Practice
Alley Cat Yoga, Columbia, Missouri
Saturday, April 12, 2008

East
Creating A Home Practice
Love Yoga Center, Oxford, Pennsylvania
Friday, June 6, 2008

Spring Into a Home Practice with Naomi Gottlieb-Miller
Willow Street Yoga, Tacoma Park, Maryland
Saturday, June 7, 2008

4. Download Upward Facing Dog
These days, free (or cheap) yoga classes are literally at your fingertips. Some studios, including Yoga to the People, offer classes online and at iTunes. On iTunes, just do a keyword search for “yoga podcast” or a specific teacher or studio.
Here are a few of our favorite podcasts:
Yoga to the People 60-minute Power Flow
Yoga Peeps Podcasts
Power Yoga with Dave Farmar
Hillary’s Yoga Practice Podcast

Other online resources include yogatoday.com, myyogaonline.com, and our very own Yoga Cures downloads.  If you’re looking to add a new DVD to your collection but aren’t ready to buy, visit your library to get a free preview. If your library doesn’t have what you’re looking for, put a purchase request in with the librarian. Not sure what’s out there? Read our DVD reviews.

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