Here’s my five cents on the “Saving money with multiples” theme week at How Do You Do It?
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The yoga industry has become a multi-billion dollar industry, attracting hordes of us to join the trend. It’s wonderful that more people are benefiting from yoga, but it’s not so straightforward to know what you really need. Some studios are looking and acting like high-end spas. Yoga clothing and equipment is becoming specialized, even hyped. There are whole lines launched by big-name designers. You can buy yoga tank tops, bras, pants – long, short, wide, or tight. Then there is everything you can put on top of your practice wear, skirts, jackets and hoodies. There are scarves to keep you warm and looking good while you walk to and from the studio and then to use as a blanket in Savasana the final relaxation. There are yoga gloves and shoes that grip. Not sure what the deal is with those, that you can practice without a mat on a ship maybe? There are eco-friendly yoga mats, funky bags, chakra-balancing jewelery… There are hundreds of yoga magazines featuring hot, fit models in wild postures. They must eat healthy, organic, and take strangely named supplements.
And then there are as many studios as corner stores offering many styles. There is Vinyasa, Iyengar, Ashtanga, even Chocolate yoga, and Doga (Yoga for dogs). How do you choose? And all teachers say different things don’t they?. Taking a yoga class can be costly. A single class can range from $10-$25. Multiple class passes or monthly memberships are more affordable, but depending on the studio, still quite pricey. And how many times a month can you, MoM get to a studio anyway? What’s supposed to be an ancient method to simplify and unify our thoughts and outlook has become a daunting world to join. How can you start simply, without either sprinting away from or falling for all the crazy marketing?
My suggestion: develop a self-practice. Do it on your own floor or on 1 good quality yoga mat (they wear out quickly otherwise). Wear comfortable clothes that you find in your cupboard. Do it any time other than right after a meal. Take ten minutes or an hour, by yourself or with your little yogis alongside. More likely they’ll end up on top of you, under you, or both. Read on.
Natasha Devalia 
Great post!
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I meant, when you are a beginner it can be difficult at first to memorize a sequence (it’s like suddenly turning off the GPS system while driving somewhere, you are used to do as told, not paying much attention to the road).
BUT as you said in your post, there is plenty of material (books, DVDS, internet) to help you through this. If you are serious about it and motivated, self-practice is fantastic in so many ways for mothers of multiples AND singles 😛
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Yes, there are resources available out there. Many “practice sheets” exist. especially for the set sequence of an Ashtanga practice. As a more experienced practitioner, focusing on the breath, bandha’s and drishti as “emphasis” on your daily practice is quite a lot already! Just getting a few minutes to do a some asana with or without your children around can be enough at some points. The idea after some time is not even to be dependent on having a six day practice week. It might be down to three or four at best, and that’s fine.
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Great post!!!
I find that home practice is really challenging….when you are a beginner, your biggest task is to remember the poses to practice, when you are more experienced you face the dilemma of deciding what emphasis to choose during your session. Even if you have been going regularly to class, creating a well-organized home practice and stick to it despite all the possible interruptions is definitively more challenging than going to group classes.
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Thanks Pasca. It might be more challenging at first. Do you mean it’s difficult to memorize the “Ashtanga” sequence, or have enough poses to create a session that seems full? You definitely have to be present and take control of your practice when you do it on your own, as opposed to in a group setting led by a teacher. It takes some discipline to do regularly. It’s all an initial hurdle after which you are smooth sailing!
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