Home Practice: day 2 of new resolution

All I need is this...

Part of my middle-of-the-night realizations last week, during a long insomniac interlude, was that I really, really need to practice on my own at home.  I've been waffling in a dilemma for a while about where and when to go to class: do I re-cancel the YogaWorks membership despite the killer-deal they made me (yes), do I become an unlimited annual member at Yoga of Sausalito (no).  How do I get back on my 5-times-a-week schedule?

And how do I do all of the homework for my Teacher Training?

Simple: practice at home.  There's no better way to develop myself as a teacher than to teach myself in this way, to create the habit of regular daily solo practice.

Other benefits that I realized yesterday, after successful Day 1:

- it's so quiet.  I love seeing my friends at yoga and chatting, hugging and kissing before and after, but man, practicing in the quiet of my home-office is so peaceful.  Makes it easier to give my hyper-active monkey brain a break...

- it's so quick.  Going to a 1 1/2 hour class, no matter where I drive, takes around 2 1/2 hours with travel time (since naturally, I have to arrive early, then there's the inevitable post-yoga Slow Loris putting back on of shoes and ambling slowly back to vehicle).  Practicing at home took me one hour, start to finish.  For now, I think an hour is plenty; I'll build up from here.

- it's so hard.  Stringing together poses in a sequence, in a flow that makes sense, that builds to a pinnacle pose, is no easy feat.  Not to mention staying focused, not letting my mind chase after the dust bunnies I can see from cobra pose...

After my practice yesterday, I exclaimed to Joe, full of happiness with myself (maybe a smidge too much),  "practicing at home is going to change my life."  He replied, "well, actually, honey, I want to just remind you that you've only done it once."  That sounds mean when I write it out, but actually it perfectly typifies our dynamic balance -- he helps me keep my feet on the ground when I am likely to get carried away by the wind in my own head.  It's so true that the proof of the experiment will be in doing it in a sustained way.

Which is where I'm going right now: day 2 of new resolution, practicing at home.  Yay!