Do not kill the instinct of the body for the glory of the pose. Do not look at your body like a stranger, but adopt a friendly approach towards it. Watch it, listen to it, observe its needs, its requests, and even have fun. Play with it as children do, sometimes it becomes very alive and swift.
To be sensitive is to be alive.
--Vanda Scaravelli

Preparing to Practice
Before you start our eight-week program of home yoga practice, there are a few simple things you'll need to do: Find the time and place to practice yoga, assemble your yoga props, and learn about your body and your breath. This chapter provides information about these topics and concludes with some special advice--for those of you who may need it--on how to motivate yourself to practice.
Finding the Time and Place to Practice Yoga

For many people, finding the time to practice yoga at home is the main problem they must solve in order to embark on our eight-week program. Therefore, it is a good idea to sit down now, look over your schedule (if you have one), and figure out where you're going to fit in about 1 hour of yoga practice, six days a week. To manage this, you may need to consider waking up earlier than usual, asking your partner to take charge of the children at specified times, or juggling your work and home commitments around a bit. Once you have decided when to practice, you might even consider marking it on your calendar to establish this practice time as a fixed priority in your life for the next eight weeks.



Morning Practice
Most people prefer to practice yoga early in the morning before going off to work or school. The early morning is a beautiful time to practice because the world is calm and peaceful, and there are very few distractions.

Practicing yoga in the morning can also set the tone for your entire day. So if you generally feel better after doing yoga<\m>more centered, calm, or filled with energy--why not allow yourself to begin your day with that orientation?

Finally, many people find that going straight from bed into practice is the only way to ensure that they actually do practice on a given day because they find that if they put off practicing until they get home from work, things get in the way and they never get around to it.

Other Practice Times
On the other hand, some people have things they need to do in the morning (getting to work early, nursing a baby, or getting children off to school, for example). And other people simply find that the morning doesn't work for their particular bodies or personalities. It is worth experimenting to find what works for you, rather than simply doing something because of your preconceived notions of the "best" or "right" time to practice. Some practitioners do find that practicing in the late afternoon or even just before bed are the best times for them.

Where to Practice
After identifying the times when you want to practice, you need to find a space in which to practice. Although a few people are lucky enough to have an unused room that they can turn into a designated "yoga room," many people live in small houses or apartments and have to make do with some corner of the living room, bedroom, or even the kitchen. In some cases, using a combination of different spaces or areas in your home can be effective (for example, you may have a wall in one room where you do against-the-wall poses and another space in a different room where you practice your freestanding poses). Many everyday people have been able to develop rich and rewarding home practices within the confines of small, crowded spaces.


Flooring
If you have any options, consider the type of floor on which you will be practicing. Your first choice should be a wood floor, if one is available. If your home is carpeted, it is best to practice on the most tightly woven carpet, such as industrial carpet, rather than on loose, cushy carpet, which is very difficult to balance on. In addition, if the surface is too soft, you get very slow feedback, so your body responses are also slow, which can be damaging to your joints. The worst surface you can practice on is concrete; however, marble and tile are actually quite good and you may even prefer them to carpeting.

Enhancing Your Environment
If you are lucky enough to be able to dedicate a room or corner of a room to yoga, consider putting some effort into creating an environment that will make you more likely to want to practice and to focus on yoga while you are in it. Some people set up altars, display photographs of teachers or inspiring spiritual figures, or burn candles or incense. For other people, creating an inviting environment may be as simple as doing yoga in front of a window with a good view or in a room that has beautiful natural light.
If you have more than one possibility in your home, try to find your yoga space the way a cat finds a place for a nap. Where do you want to practice? Maybe you have a big spare room but that space between your bed and the wall feels like the place where you want to lay down your mat, so why not practice there? And even if you do have a designated yoga room, on some days you may feel like practicing in a different space. Go with your intuition and lay down your mat wherever you wish. Various rooms or spaces in your home may be more appealing during different seasons or at different times of day.