One of my challenges as a student has been keeping humble and quiet (neither are in my nature). And after almost 6 years of regular practice, I have lots to say, some of it useful and I am sure some just dead wrong.

I have had in mind for a while a series of pieces on yoga practice from the perspective of a stiff, male student of Iyengar yoga, covering topics in a way that I have not seen elsewhere. Perhaps this will generate comment from Laurie and others.

So my first topic — three tips on how to practice at home. We’ve heard lots of tips, but maybe not these (or in this way).

1. Trick yourself into starting each practice. When I began years ago, I did so my telling myself to take 10 minutes and work on 3 poses that I learned in class. Once you start, you feel better. 10minutes becomes 20 or more, and you’re off. And start no matter how you feel that day. If you wait till you’re rested and ready, you will never practice.

Even now, when I can practice at home for 90 minutes or more, my mind can’t comprehend in advance practicing that long. So I often start with one pose and see where it leads. When I started, that one pose may have been Trikonasana (triangle) or Dog pose. Now it’s Yoga Mudrasana (legs in half lotus, bending forward — a great hip stretch and groin deepener). This often leads to all sorts of additional work (or not).

2. Keep it basic. For a stiff person, yoga is a humiliating, discouraging enterprise that drives away lots of men. The “basic” home practice alleviates this problem (at least between classes) and builds results. Two examples. Urdvha Hastasana (“hands up” basically) and Vrksasana (tree) lead to a real nice handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana). And Virabadrasana I (Warrior I) stretches the hip flexors and leads to all manner of back bends and dropping back. I’ll spend half a home practice sometimes just doing Virab I for this reason.

3. If you can get started at all, pick a theme (any theme). Laurie covers this well, but my early list was: standing poses, twists, forward bends, balance poses, hip openers, long holds, short holds with movement, shoulder work, and strength work. With a theme, you don’t have to make lists or work very hard. Just apply stuff from class within each theme. Make any theme you want.

Okay, enough talk for now. I have lots of other topics in mind, like “why practice Pranayama?”, “how to learn headstand away from class,” “practicing on the road,” “practicing through an injury,” “a modified padmasana cycle for stiff hips and touchy knees,” etc. But I can also go back to being quiet if you all prefer!