DEVELOPING A PERSONAL PRACTICE 215but in all seriousness, a brief talk with your significant other, roommates, or
kids can be helpful. Explaining to them that this is an important time for you
to feed your health and happiness usually will be respected. Because the
effects of yin practice greatly decrease tension and stress, family members will
beg you to do your practice. From my experience, they won’t want to deal
with your wrath and fury when you’re stressed out. You can also invite your
housemates to join in when the time is right. It can be a powerful experience
to practice yin with the people that you love.
In our practice space at home, my wife and I have an altar close by. You can
put pictures of special people, such as family members or teachers, on your
altar. Or you can include pictures that represent the divine. Statues, stones,
pure water, symbols, candles, and incense can also be a great addition. Your
altar should invoke an energy of benevolence for you.
My meditation teacher, Jack Kornfield, told about an interesting study done
in London on the effect that an environment can have on human behavior. A
group of researchers chose two streets that were 10 blocks away from each
other in a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood in London. They left one street
alone and began to transform the other. They picked up trash, painted over
the graffiti, and used simple landscaping to enhance the beauty of the street.
A year after this project, they went back and looked at the crime statistics for
those streets, and the results were astonishing. On the street they had cleaned
up, the crime rate dropped 50 percent lower than on the street they had left
alone, despite the fact that the streets were only 10 blocks apart.
This study provides insight on how our environment affects our behavior.
Most of us know how refreshing it feels when we clear the clutter out of a
space and then set it up in an inspiring way. So, take time to set up your
practice space and create an environment that feels incredible. The better the
vibes, the better your motivation.
Props and Tools
Props, as shown in figure 7.1, are a great addition to your ongoing practice
and something that you will be able to use over and over. I highly recommend
that you acquire several props to expand your options within the various
postures. Having options will ensure that you will be able to find your sweet
spot in the pose. Some days you may feel more open and need fewer props.
On other days your body may feel tight, and you will use props in every pose.
Yoga Block
I recommend that you get two yoga blocks made of wood or foam. I prefer
the lighter foam blocks, especially for a yin practice. The wooden blocks can
feel hard and abrasive on the body, which doesn’t do much to trigger the
relaxation response. If you are new to working with blocks, keep in mind