How I Maintain a Daily At-Home Yoga Practice

For the first few years of my son’s life, I was concerned with caring for him and his well-being only. Most days, I would feed him breakfast AND lunch before I would take a bite of food. Becoming a parent was this transcendent experience and it was incredibly easy to fall into the trap of caring for him and forgetting to care for myself. After all, our society can make it seem as though self-care is self-indulgent and selfish.

This lifestyle worked in the short run, but eventually my lack of self-care came to a head and my cup ran out. I became borderline underweight, experienced frequent panic attacks, and generally felt discontent. As we all know, it’s impossible to pour from an empty cup. 

One day, I decided to click on a meditation video on YouTube. Of course I had heard of yoga and meditation, but had neither practiced nor researched the multitude of health benefits – including reduced anxiety. The shift in my energy and well-being after just a short 10 minute video had me hooked. 

That was 5 years ago and I would say I have practiced daily (even if just 10-15 minutes) most of those 1,826 some odd days.  I cannot remember the last panic attack I had, I feel all-around healthy, and I enjoy motherhood more than ever (even with a 6 year old who behaves like a teenager and a 16-month old who still doesn’t sleep through the night).

Beginning this mindfulness journey was the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s almost as if I was asleep before, and now I am awake – awake to the present moment. Taking on a new habit is understandably hard, especially when our lives are so busy and the outside world is basically on fire. I believe that the simple act of caring for ourselves each day, even if just for 15 minutes, has ripple effects and raises the vibration of those around us. 

There are a few ways I keep up with this form of self-care, from keeping it short to remembering WHY I practice (and it’s not for just the physical benefits). With that being said, here is how I maintain a daily at-home yoga practice.

I Practice at the Same Time Every Day

I wish I were the type of person who wakes up before the children and squeezes in a yoga practice or a walk and has time to drink a cup of coffee in silence. But alas, my children wake up at 7AM every day and there’s no way in hell I’m setting an alarm for 6AM – especially when my daughter has been teething for what feels like a century and is waking up numerous times a night. 

Knowing this about myself, I choose to practice in the evening, once my children are asleep. Sometimes I’ll practice while they are awake, but it’s a different, less relaxing, vibe. We are sticklers in this house about getting the kids in bed before 8:30 and once they are snug little bugs in their beds, I may scroll on my phone for a few minutes, but then I usually go straight to the mat. If I sit on the couch and start a show or bust out the snacks, I know my practice isn’t going to happen that night. 

I also know that I’ll enjoy whatever show my husband and I decide to watch in the evening – lately we are rewatching Stranger Things – a little more knowing that I made time for self-care first. 

Plus, studies show that incorporating a relaxing yoga practice into your nighttime routine may improve the quality and duration of your sleep. This has definitely held true in my own experience. If  I did my own study on how practicing yoga in the evening affects my sleep, it would show that the evenings I practice directly correspond to me getting a better night’s sleep.

I Keep it Short

I’ll be honest with you, after a 14 hour day of being a stay-at-home mom and living on broken sleep most nights, I don’t typically want to get on my mat in the evenings. And it is an even rarer occasion that I feel up to a practice that’s over 25 minutes. 

Most nights, I opt for a 10-20 minute practice. There are TONS of YouTube videos that are within this time range. I have several favorite yogis (Yoga with Adriene, Charlie Follows, Breathe and Flow, Black Yogi Nico Marie, myself :P, and so many more) and they all have videos that fall within this short time frame. 

Studies show that even just 10-20 minutes of practice can have physical and mental benefits such as reduced stress, improved flexibility, and increased circulation. Consistency is more important than duration, so I give myself lots of grace when I choose a short sequence regularly rather than none at all. And on those rare occasions that I do choose a 45 minute practice, I tell myself I’m basically a superstar. ;)

If it’s one of those days where I’m simply too physically spent to get on the mat, I opt for a short meditation. There are tons of meditation videos on YouTube and a large selection on Podcasts, too. They come in lengths from as short as 5 minutes to 3 hour talk downs to help you fall asleep. Jason Stephenson is my favorite YouTube meditation teacher because his voice is like a warm blanket that wraps around my soul.

I Practice the Style of Yoga that I Like

There are tons of different styles of yoga: restorative, yin, vinyasa, etc. My favorite style tends to lean towards the yin/restorative type. These styles are much more about relaxation and calming the nervous system. Seeing as I prefer to practice in the evening, a relaxing flow is much more up my alley as it helps me to release the day and prepare my mind and body for sleep.

If I choose to practice earlier in the day, I tend to pick a vinyasa flow, which includes more physically demanding and dynamic poses that synchronize with the breath. These practices usually give me a boost of energy and I walk off the mat feeling strong.

I value the stress-reducing and anxiety-prevention benefits of a yoga practice – so 9 times out of 10, I’m choosing a chill practice. Again, YouTube yogis offer whatever practice you want. I want a more restorative practice? Boom: Restorative Yoga to Release Stress and Feel Relaxed. I’m craving more of a workout? Boom: 20 Minute Power Yoga Flow. I’m experiencing neck pain? Boom: Yoga for Neck Pain. I feel angry that the USA decides to lose its mind during the decade I'm raising young children? Boom: 10 Minute Calming Yoga.

I Have a Designated Yoga Spot

By this, I don’t mean I have an entire extra room to practice yoga. I wish this were so and if I did have an extra bedroom in my house, it would most definitely become my little self-care sanctuary. No, I just mean that I have a favorite spot to practice that I have made more appealing: my back porch. Fortunately, our porch is enclosed and I live in an area of the country with pretty moderate weather. I am able to practice outdoors most of the year.

For our patio, I purchased and hung up a really cute yoga mat holder, I was given some beautiful yoga/mindfulness artwork by my parents, and I keep this area mostly clear so that I can simply roll out my mat and get started. This area sparks joy in my soul. I can hear the birds and the bees (giggity), I can see the sky and the trees, and I can smell the fresh air. It is inviting. 

When I practice indoors, I try to make it inviting as well. I dim the lights and light a candle. The simple act of lighting a candle next to me makes it feel like much more of a self-care event. Plus, yummy scents can have a positive effect on your mood, so win-win. 

I LOVE the Yoga Collection of Candles from Woo Woo Crystal Co. (crystal infused candles -- genius!)

I Remember My Reasons for Practicing

Of course there are the physical benefits of practicing yoga: improved flexibility, increased muscle strength, lower blood pressure, reduced heart rate, etc. My reasons for practicing regularly are much more about the mental health benefits: stress reduction, anxiety management, improved emotional regulation (this is a huge one when it comes to parenting), increased self-esteem, improved sleep quality… The list goes on.

Before I began my yoga journey, I was ridden with anxiety, mom guilt, and spoke negatively to myself on a regular basis. When I looked in the mirror, I would notice everything I disliked. When my son inevitably came down with something as simple as a basic cold (or even just big mosquito bites – I distinctly remember shaking with nervousness when a mosquito bite swelled up on his cheek), I would panic. When he would misbehave as children are known to do, I would lose my temper easily and everybody in the house would become dysregulated. 

Now, I can confidently say anxiety no longer plays a big role in my life. Do I have occasional days where my level of anxiety is higher? Sure. But now I have a science-backed coping mechanism to deal with those days. I look in the mirror and notice what I love about my body. I speak to myself with kindness and give myself grace for my mistakes, just as I would a friend. I am able to self-regulate and model handling big emotions for my children (I'd say around 85% of the time :P ).

I relate all of these positive changes in my life directly to my consistent, self-care yoga practice. I have learned to fill my own cup because only once my cup is full can I pour into others’. It is for this reason that I practice regularly, even when I don’t quite feel like it. 

Starting a new habit is hard – it’s difficult for most people I assume. To be honest though, keeping up with a daily 15 minute yoga/meditation practice has been surprisingly easy to maintain. With just a few small changes in my daily life, like practicing at the same time daily and keeping the practice short, I have witnessed an unfolding of the journey towards a better version of myself.  “Great things,” said Vincent Van Gogh, “are done by a series of small things brought together.”

If you find yourself interested in starting a yoga journey but don’t know where to start, here is a link to a 30-day challenge with Adriene Mishler. She is a calm, funny, and wonderful mentor to begin your yoga journey with. 

May you find the joy and love for this over 5,000 year old practice that has changed millions of people’s lives. It most definitely changed mine, and it is a path I plan to stay on for the rest of my life. Good luck, and the light in me honors the light in you. Namaste. <3