Personal yoga practise - Where?

davidp80

Hi everyone,

Outside of organized classes, where can I practise hatha yoga on a daily basis? Here I'm referring to my own, free private practise outside of a structured group setting. My first thought was that I could just practise right in my hotel room, but I'm thinking there may not be enough space in many of the budget guesthouses/hotels that I'll be staying in. Am I correct in this assumption? I guess I could always just push the bed aside to make room.
What about temples or other religious sites?
Any other thoughts? Maybe somewhere with a little atmosphere? Of course I'm looking for very general country-wide advice here, which may or may not be practical for your suggestions.

Thanks everyone. Kind of small concern, and something that I'd surely figure out eventually on my own....but I was just kind of curious to see what you all were thinking?

-Dave

Sama

I did sun salutations at sunrise, facing the ocean, outside my guesthouse (in their green space) in Pondicherry. I've done yoga in my hotel room. I've done it in the aisle on my flights to India. I even did yoga and meditated on my train rides in India.

so....anywhere.

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Darmabum

do as the Varanasian's do . . . many, many go to the Ganges in the morning, @ sunrise, you may even get a few tips (maybe a few touts too!) . . . I did mine in my room in Varanasi. I had a large double room, Rs150/night. Staying for six months as I did I also had a 6 X 9 carpet and my yoga mat. Plenty of room. Close to my guesthouse was a temple where classes were held every morning, and also nearby a guesthouse where rooftop yoga was held every morning, and many guesthouses have empty rooftops . . . so, as Yogagal suggested, anywhere, everywhere.

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davidp80

Interesting suggestions! Haha...although I'm not quite sure I have the guts to practise in the airplane aisles. It's nice to hear what you guys have tried along the way. Hopefully, as you said Darmabum, my double room will be big enough for a mat and a body, but if not, I'll look around for a quiet space outside. I guess, in my experience thus far, it just feels nice to get into a regular routine location wise. I've noticed that a given physical space tends to take on the qualities of mind produced therein - Here at home, the Institute I go to regularly instantly has a calming and quieting effect on my mind the moment I walk through the doors. It also explains why I feel anxious when I enter through the door to my workplace. I think your practise carries over from one day to the next. But I could always improvise too - How nice it would be to practise on the rooftop at sunrise though....ahhh...

Thanks to the both of you,

-Dave

Sama

Sri Krishnamacharya said that "yoga is Life".

When you take your yoga off the mat and into your life, that is when your yoga truly begins.

as for being gutsy with doing yoga on a 16 hour flight...I stopped caring a long time ago what people thought of me....

davidp80

" Sri Krishnamacharya said that "yoga is Life".

When you take your yoga off the mat and into your life, that is when your yoga truly begins."

Agreed Yogagal Here I guess I'm mainly referring to hatha yoga, putting the other seven petals aside....

I like to believe that I don't care what others think about me, but...in reality, I know I still do. At 24 years old, I guess that's excusable though

Thanks so much,

-Dave

kristinm

I wish I'd known a guy who did yoga and wasn't embarrassed to admit it when I was 24!

davidp80

Agreed - I wish I knew more now too! My classes consist of mostly older women, but that's fine by me. A woman's gentle ways have always been preferable to me.

-Dave

Sama

David, I wish I taught to more men in my classes! They definitely need yoga more than women, but are afraid to admit it! Although one of my male students is meeting me in India in December and we will attend classes together at the school in Chennai.

Ironically -- well, maybe not so ironically -- I have more men as private yoga students than women....

Noz

Hi all, one of these replies caught my attention - yoga at a temple each morning in Varanasi - sounds wonderful and just what I am looking for. Could anyone tell me what temple or if they know of any other yoga classes in Varanasi that you can drop into?
Ta x

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atala

I think doing yoga at a temple, in the main temple hall that is, might be considered a bit offensive, or out of place at least, but it really depends on what kind of temple it is. Temples are places where people visit with devotional intentions, the attention given to the Murtis (the statue(s) in the altar room)in the shrine. Yoga, however, appears self-oriented, and in addition you tend to expose parts of your body towards the Murtis in ways that may be considered indecent. Especially never stretch your feet towards Murtis, or even persons...

But there are more informal temples where you might be able to do it, like in a village temple, typically dedicated to some Mother-image, or in the South in front of a smaller Ganesh- or any other Shrine out in a field.

colnago

i have never seen anyone doing yoga asanas in a temple.

in varanasi, you can do your practice on the ghats at dawn. very powerful with Surya shining right on you. and Ganga Ma at your feet.
. or swim accross Ganga Ma and do them facing the city and then swim back. Also very powerful.

Not recommended during monsoon season.....unless you are a very strong swimmer.

These suggestions are, alas, just for males. Females will attract too much unwanted attention.

On the other hand, pranayama can be done, rather inconspiciously, anywhere.

Happy Trails

Chinadolly

Its lovely to practice yoga in the morning facing the ocean, and you won't be alone.