I started to practise yoga at home after my gym membership expired in January 2017. This is one of the best decisions I have ever made! Let me tell you why.
Save Money…and Time
> No long-term investment: My bank got $2500 poorer after signing up for a 3 years gym membership in 2014. Not tying myself down with another new sign-up means that I could put the money to better use, like a YTT class!
> No travelling required: Travelling to the nearest studio takes time. On a typical weekend, I had to drag myself out of bed at 8.30am to be on time for a 10am class. Another 45 minutes was catered to the journey back home. This means that I spent 2hours 15 mins to get ready and travel, not forgetting the transportation fee of $2.50 per round trip. All these just for ONE hour of yoga class. With an estimate of 8 classes in a month- I spent an additional $240 on transport in a year!
> Spend less on yoga clothes: Attending a yoga class is like going for a fashion parade. Who does not want to look good? We follow the latest yoga trends and spend money to dress like a yogi. I have got nothing against pretty yoga attire, they look lovely with all the colourful prints (I indulged in a few pieces too). Nevertheless, the effort to maintain a ‘yogi look’ comes with a price. We give ourselves the permission to splurge because we do not want to be judged as ‘recycling’ our clothes in the class. Eventually, we spend more money on aesthetics and treat each lesson as a fashion show.
Doing yoga at home means that we save time and money on transport and most importantly, there is no pressure to dress well!
Improves Self-Discipline
Practising yoga at home also means that I have no excuses to be lazy. Traffic jams and bad weather can never be reasons to stop myself from hitting the mat.
It is also important to explore which ‘timing’ at home works best for you. I used to practise yoga after work but many times, the thought of exercising in the evening made me feel tired and restless, especially after a long day at work. One day, I decided to change my routine and woke up 45 minutes earlier for a morning yoga session. I love it since then! It starts my day right with the asanas calming my body and mind and allows me to maintain the statement of calmness throughout the day.
Doing yoga at home takes a lot of self-discipline. The art to this discipline is to make it into a habit. We know how it feels like to be running late for a yoga class. So why not make use of the flexibility of time at home to identify the most effective routine for yourself?
Be Yourself
We are often distracted by other students in the class. We get curious about what clothes they wear, how they behave and whether they are as good as what we perceive. We attempt challenging asanas to prove our worth to other students in the class. We judge. We feel good to see that we are better than others and get discouraged when we cannot be as great as some. We let ego and competitiveness take over our minds. Eventually, we spent more time reacting to all these external stimuli which override the true meaning of self-practise.
Doing yoga at home cuts me off from all the unnecessary distractions. I learnt to focus on myself and concentrate from within. At the end of the day, there is no competition. I am my only competitor.
Above are just some of the many benefits of practising yoga at home. Afterall, there is no place like home!
Signing off,
Yeo Pei Qin , PQ
Sep’17 YTTC