How to Start Yoga at Home (and Actually Stick to It)
- Sam Turner
- Apr 14
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 27
I’ve recently started uploading classes to YouTube that anyone can access for free. It’s a great sentiment, right? Honestly, the feedback I received was that people are better at being somewhere at a specific time, but they probably won’t practise when they have freedom.
That’s me. I’m exactly like that — if I need to be at a 6pm yoga class, I can be there. However, I’ve learnt the hard way that if I have the freedom to do something whenever, then there’s a very slim chance that it will actually happen. I’m comfortable saying “I’ll do it later”.
I’m going to make a big assumption that if you’re still reading this, then you’re pretty similar to me.
Why free time doesn’t always work
In learning that I’m terrible with free time, I started to figure out ways to still do the things I wanted to do. I started small… once per week. Similar to me, I’m sure you already have that down because you probably go to one yoga class a week. However, you’re looking to expand your practice, and the only way to do this is to practise more. For me, that started as a Tuesday evening.
Once I was great at once a week, I found a different slot to add something else into. We’re trying to walk, not race. I added a Sunday morning into my routine, and I stuck with that for months before it felt so regular that I didn’t have to think about it. I just did it.
Now, I’m sure you can understand that you can take this approach and add as many days as you want to the mix.
Let’s say you’re about to close this blog now thinking, “I know what’s next”, then you’re probably right, but I want to suggest two things immediately:
Do not rush this – one at a time, let it settle, then add something else
Do it for long enough that you take a holiday or catch a cold, and once it’s over, you slot right back into your routine
How to actually make it happen
Still with me? Wonderful. The question is, how do you actually do this? If you only have 30 minutes free on a Thursday morning, how do you actually get on the mat and practise? By the way, I’m going to talk about this from the perspective of doing a yoga class on YouTube, but remember, this really applies to anything.
Before we get into options, it’s worth saying this: you don’t need the perfect class, the perfect mood, or even loads of time. You just need something that gets you onto your mat.
Make it easy to show up
Make it easy for yourself. The more steps there are between you and your practice, the easier it is to avoid it. If you can reduce those steps, you give yourself a much better chance of actually showing up. That might look like laying your mat out ahead of time, keeping your props nearby, or saving your video in advance so there’s nothing to think about when the time comes. You’re not trying to test your discipline here — you’re just making it easier to begin.
Two simple ways to approach it
Option 1 (recommended)
Spend a moment, when you’re popping the slot in your digital calendar or your paper diary, and find what you’re going to do.
Have the link saved so when the time comes you just have to roll your mat out and open the link.
Enjoy your practice
Option 2 (less recommended)
Spend a moment to put your slot in the diary
Open up YouTube on the day
Find the latest upload from your favourite yoga teacher on the platform (I know it’s me) that fits into your available time
Hit play and practise
Do not get super specific with the type of practice you want to do – I’d suggest option 1 if you’re looking for something in particular. Option 2 is great for those of you that just want to spend a period of time on the yoga mat.
What counts as practice?
It’s also worth defining what “practice” actually means. It’s any amount of time you choose to put aside to come to your mat and move or breathe. It’s simply showing up and following through on that commitment to yourself, however that looks on the day. And during that time you’ve scheduled, you do your best by completing as much of the practice as feels right for you.
When it doesn’t feel great
Not every practice will feel totally amazing, and that’s part of it. Some days you’ll feel focused, other days you won’t. Some practices will click, others will feel flat. The intention here is simply to practise more, and by showing up you’re doing exactly that. In fact, it’s often those more average, uneventful sessions where the habit is really built, when you show up anyway without needing it to feel a certain way. You already know your yoga practice is working away in the background.
Building around your current routine
If you already come to class once a week, this is the easiest way to build around that rather than replace it. Think of this as your “extra”, not your “instead of”. It’s a way to support what you’re already doing, not another thing to get perfect.
Quick takeaways
Pick a time, not just a goal
Decide the practice in advance (when you can)
Keep it simple enough that you’ll actually do it
Build slowly and let it settle
Give each addition enough time that when it gets interrupted, you just pick it back up the next week without overthinking it.
Final thought
If you take anything from this, let it be this: consistency builds the practice, not motivation. The less thinking you have to do in the moment, the more likely you are to show up.
I know this works because I’ve seen it in my own experience. For a long time, I wasn’t really someone with a consistent yoga practice, it was something I dipped in and out of and was mostly focused on planning classes. Over time, and by starting small, it gradually became something much more consistent in my life.
Right now, I am roughly attending seven classes a week across different movement styles (reformer Pilates, spin, weightlifting, and, most importantly, yoga) but it didn’t start there. It started with one class a week and slowly built from that over the space of about 12 months.
So, my advice to you is to start small, keep it simple, and give yourself the chance to build something that actually sticks. And if you’re looking for somewhere to begin, you can find my free classes on YouTube... ready when you are.
See you next time
Sam
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