Back Home to Yoga - Starting a Yoga Practice at Home

I had been practicing yoga off an on for years. While yoga gave me a sense of physical and mental wellbeing that I have not been able to find anywhere else, there were always seemed to be obstacles preventing me from practicing. Some of those obstacles were mental. As a woman of Christian faith, I was incorrectly told the practice was in contradiction to my faith. As a Black woman, I found very little support for the practice in my community. But once I overcame these, my obstacles became time and money. I had to find the time to practice and I had to find the money to for instruction and equipment.

Beginning the practice of yoga can be akin to learning a new physical, mental and spiritual language. In a way, that is how I view my practice in connection with my Christian faith. It's like being bilingual. Anyway...when learning a new practice like yoga it is suggested that you begin in a class with a real live teacher. Teachers have the knowledge and experience to guide you on a personal level and being in class with others builds community. When I was able to go to class I loved it. But classes can be expensive. The least expensive I have found are usually at community centers like the YMCA. But even then, a six week class can average $60.00 - $70.00 and some people, like me, just can't afford that. So what do you do? Don't give up just yet! Time and money don't have to keep you from practice.

While yoga class is best, I have found that beginning yoga videos are a close second. And any yoga teacher would rather you practice with a video than not practice at all. There is a wide range to choose from and you can usually find a good title for under $15.00. If you feel like you would get bored with a video (as I would), a good plan would be to buy 1 video per month and master it, then get another. If you have a home computer or laptop you can also find free yoga videos online at www.yogatoday.com.