Home Practice: more benefits

I've been continuing my home practice, not every day, but often enough, on a little schedule of my own creation. As I go along I am more and more aware of benefits, even as it remains hard, some days, to get off my ass and go do it.  Still, it's going swimmingly, I think.

So, those benefits of which I speak?

- a cleaner house.  Yes, in order for me to be able to practice in a room inside my house, that room needs to be clear of clutter, the floor clear of dust and dirt (and dog hair).  Practicing at home is enforcing its own discipline on my house-keeping, which is not a bad thing at all.  I end up feeling satisfied on two fronts: clean body, clean house.  Creates a nice sense of contentment and ease.

- an awareness of my own breath.  Practicing alone, with no musical accompaniment, no outside-teacher's voice, means all I can really hear, besides my own mental chatter, is the sound of my breath moving in and out.  I think I realized very quickly that in class, I am not really focussed on my breath - so many distractions allow me to disconnect from that fundamental.  It's so interesting to be inside the quiet of that simple sound.

maybe it's boring for him?

- more together-time with my beloved dog.  Jasper can't seem to stay away from my mat.  There's something so funny about the way he'll come in, settle on the back sixth of my mat, body partly on, partly off, and just hang out.  I like thinking about the simple geometry of each pose, how to turn my back foot or jump back into plank without stepping on him.  Keeps me aware of where I am in space.

part of the view, old painting of LT's

- finally, the just being home is another benefit of the home practice.  I have been really, really enjoying being home more, feeling more deeply integrated into my house and life here.  I love the view from the window where I practice and the art on the walls.  There's something so satisfying about being still and truly inhabiting the space that so much hard work over years and years has gone into making.

This is such a good thing, I can't believe I've resisted it for so long.  Then again, it's happening at just the perfect time, when I am ready and can really enjoy it.  Yay!