Midwest, are you in the house? East Coast, are you in thehouse?

Here in Colorado it’s freezing outside and I cancelled ayoga class because no one showed up. I’m sure everyone is practicing at home,right?

Ahahahahahahahahahaha!

You have a mat. You presumably have a 72” space where to putyour mat. You have a body and if you listen to it, you have a teacher. So whyis home practice so difficult?

I get it. I’ve been teaching for more than a decade and Istill have a hard time getting on my own mat at home. I’ve narrowed it down to tenreasons why this is hard.

Top Ten Reasons WhyHome Practice is Hard

10. The dog. Or the cat. Even the goldfish wants attentionwhen you practice. Ignore them. Or, consider playing with them your “yoga” forthe day.

Down Dog with Dog

9. The children. See pets above.

8. The laundry. Multi-tasking does not work. Yoga only worksif you give your practice your full attention. This is my best advice: All thatstuff on your To-Do list will still be there in an hour. Isn’t it good to knowthat some things don’t change?

7. You can’t find your mat. Look under the bed.

6. Instagram. Looking at all those people doing yoga countsfor a practice, right?

5. The rest of social media. I know you don’t look at thisstuff, and then poof, the day is gone.

4. A couch, a cup of tea and a good book. This is my excuse.

3. You don’t have a puja. A puja is a space that’s dedicatedto your practice. Some people make a small table with mementos of loved ones andgods and goddesses to whom you offer your work. I don’t have a puja, or a sophisticatedHVAC, or a gong to wake me up from Savasana. That’s my excuse.

2. You don’t know where to begin. Have you heard of Down Dog?Child’s Pose? Standing still? Sitting still? Those are good places to begin.

1. And the number one reason why home practice is a shitshow? Because you’re at home silly. So, put on your boots and come to class.That is all.

Michelle Marchildon is the Yogi Muse. She is the author of three books on yoga, most of them probably non-essential in a government shut down. You can find her at www.MichelleMarchildon.com, or wherever books are sold, like Amazon.