Yoga is fundamentally a personal practice. While there is much information that can teach you its philosophy, guidelines, and principles, you learn yoga from your own body, starting from the moment you step onto your mat, and connect with your awareness and breathing.

The word exercise usually implies some kind of repetitive activity. “Doing exercise” also assumes there is a set result we are trying to achieve, and the foreknowledge of this “correct” result tends to color our perceptions of that which is expected of us. The purpose of the inquiries is to provide you with a situation in which you can explore and discover new skills for yourself. While it is likely you will discover some of the principles through your own actual practice experience rather than other’s.

Creating a sacred space is so essential to establishing a consistent practice that it is worth a note here. Reserving a space for practice and making it special in some way that distinguishes it from the rest of your everyday life is a concrete way of reinforcing to yourself and others around you the importance and meaning of your practice.

Just as a runner needs a good pair of running shoes, you’ll need some essential pieces of equipment, called yoga props, to get the most out of your practice. As your practice develops you may also wish to invest in other props or accessories that will give you greater versatility.