YOGA FOR BEGINNERSwork if you intend to meditate, it will certainly get you off
the couch and onto your mat if you’re feeling lazy.GET A FRIEND TO JOIN YOU. Maybe you can practice
together every day. Perhaps you check in with each
other to make sure you’re keeping up with your practice.
Whatever it is, find someone to keep you accountable.BE KIND TO YOURSELF. Do not beat yourself up if you miss
a day or you fail to meet one of your goals. Accept it for
what it is and move on. Practice ahimsa (doing no harm)
and remember “practice, not perfection.”Once you’ve committed to the practice, it is important
to find a place where you feel comfortable doing yoga. Not
everyone has empty rooms with nice bamboo floors like
many yoga studios, so be ready to get creative with this.
Clearing a Space
I live in Los Angeles, where rents are high and space is lim-
ited. Rentals seem to come with some form of an obligatory
beige carpet. For the longest time I hated practicing at home
because I never felt comfortable: The carpet was too squishy,
I had to move my couch, and the lights in the living room
were in my eyes. But then one day I got creative and decided
to test out my galley kitchen. I laid out my mat on the lino-
leum floor and found that I could move with ease. Because
some of the counters and cabinets stuck out at just the right
heights, I was actually able to improve my practice by using
these items as props. I share this story because I want you to