To start a home yoga practice, decide why you're practising, pick a regular time and a small space, and begin with 15–20 minutes a few days a week. Keep a short log after each session: the style, how long, the poses, and how you felt before and after. Those notes show your progress and keep you consistent. Practise within your comfort, and check with a doctor first if you have an injury, a health condition or are pregnant.
Step 1: Set your intentions
- Why you practise: flexibility, strength, stress relief, better sleep or simply consistency.
- Poses to work towards over the next few months.
- Styles to try: Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Ashtanga, Iyengar or Restorative.
Step 2: Make it easy to show up
- Choose one time, such as early morning before breakfast or early evening, and keep it.
- Keep your mat unrolled in the same corner.
- Start small: 15–20 minutes is enough to build the habit.
- Colour a box on a tracker every day you practise. A visible streak is motivating.
Step 3: What to write in a yoga journal
| Log | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Style, duration, home or class | Shows how much you actually practise |
| How you felt before and after (1–5) | Shows the effect on mood and energy |
| Poses practised | Tracks variety and progress |
| Breathwork and meditation | Keeps pranayama in your routine |
| What felt good or challenging | Guides what to work on next |
Once a month, total your sessions and minutes, note a favourite class and one win, and check progress on the poses you're working towards.
For teachers: how to structure a class sequence
- Theme and intention: one idea for the class, such as balance, grounding or opening the hips.
- Centering and pranayama: settle the breath.
- Warm-up: gentle movements for the spine and joints.
- Sun salutations or flow to build heat.
- Standing and peak sequence: poses that prepare for the class's peak pose.
- Floor and cool-down: seated poses, twists and forward folds.
- Savasana and closing.
Note props needed (blocks, strap, bolster) and students' injuries before class, and write a short reflection afterwards to improve the next one.
Printable planners
The Yoga Logbook is for your own practice: a yoga intentions page, a 100-day practice tracker, 10 practice log pages with before-and-after ratings, a pose progress table and a monthly summary. A4, ₹249. The Yoga Class Planner is for teachers: a weekly class schedule, 10 class sequence pages following the structure above, a student roster with injuries and notes, attendance, themes and playlists, and a teaching income log. A4, ₹349. Building the habit? See our habit tracker guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I start yoga at home as a beginner?
Decide why you are practising, pick a regular time and a small space, and begin with 15 to 20 minutes a few days a week. Practise within your comfort and check with a doctor first if you have an injury or health condition.
What should I write in a yoga journal?
The style and length of each session, how you felt before and after, the poses practised, any breathwork or meditation, and what felt good or challenging.
How often should I practise yoga at home?
Consistency matters more than length. A few short sessions a week is a good start; many people build up to daily practice over time.
How do yoga teachers structure a class?
Commonly: a theme and intention, centering and pranayama, a warm-up, sun salutations or flow, a standing and peak sequence, floor poses and cool-down, then savasana and closing.
Is yoga safe during pregnancy or with an injury?
Check with your doctor first and practise with a qualified teacher who knows your situation.
General information, not medical advice. Practise within your comfort and consult a doctor for injuries, health conditions or pregnancy.