If you're wondering how to develop a home practice in yoga, don't worry. There are many tools to use for research. Depending on your level, your practice may be a simple routine, or it might include daily or weekly challenges. The most important thing to remember is to listen to your body - that makes any practice perfect.

Things to Consider

The style of yoga you prefer will dictate a lot of the components of your home practice. If you enjoy Iyengar, for example, you'll hold postures longer than if you practice Vinyasa, so maybe you'll have fewer postures in a routine.

You might also want to develop a number of timed sequences. Here are some ideas:

A 20-minute morning routine, such as the Sun Salutation Series
A 30-minute sequence of energy-building poses
A 45-minute practice with focus on key areas of the body
A 90-minute routine with a theme
A 10-minute restorative practice to unwind in the evening
Targeting particular issues is another reason to learn how to develop a home practice in yoga. While many yoga instructors are conscientious about students' needs and take care to modify or expand postures to accommodate certain situations, it's hard to do that for each individual in class.When practicing at home, you can spend as much time as you need to improve, correct, or ease something particular. For example, if you'd like to lessen symptoms of asthma, you can include more chest-opening poses in your routine. If you're trying to get a more restful sleep, try focusing on postures that work well to reduce insomnia. Maybe you attend yoga class three mornings a week to add a spark to your day, but need a way to release tension in the evening. You can set up your home practice to be all restorative poses that you perform when you get home from work and before dinner.

How to Develop a Home Practice in Yoga

When you develop a home practice in yoga, there are a few components to include.

An opening visualization and/or breathing exercise
A small warm-up to prepare the body for the core sequence
The core sequence, using a combination of standing and sitting postures that follow your intent for the session
Closing relaxation, often Savasana, or Corpse Pose, and maybe some meditation
Your timed session will determine how long you have for each of these components. Always make sure to allow for at least three minutes of Savasana at the end of your practice to allow your body to accept the practice and distribute energy.

Home Practice: A Word of Caution

Maybe you enjoy the fellowship and unity of a yoga class, but long to take your practice to a new level on your personal time. That's a terrific aspiration, but before trying advanced poses or more extensive yogic applications, first arrange for private training with your instructor. This ensures you have a complete understanding of the posture and can make corrections under his or her guidance before trying it at home.

Whenever you get a new yoga DVD, always watch it through a few times to make sure you are at a level of expertise necessary to complete each posture safely. In some cases, certain postures may be a bit too much to try on your own. Enjoy your yoga journey and modify those postures if necessary, or simply skip them.