Planning Your Home Yoga Practice

While the most important moments in our life are generally spontaneous and surprising, in order to reach our known goals, a plan really helps. At the very least, you will know when things are not going as planned. We first learned about the Natural Planning Method from David Allen, author of Getting Things Done. He's a business guru, a fabulous guy, and he knows how to clear obstacles to allow the next correct action to occur.

There are 5 steps to to the Natural Planning Method:
• Purpose
• Vision
• Mind-mapping
• Organization
• Action

Get out a pen and paper, and write down the answers to these questions:

1. Purpose
What's the purpose of establishing a home yoga practice?
For example, do you want to reduce anxiety or the effects of stress? Do you want more energy? Do you want to be able to fall asleep at night? Maybe you want greater flexibility. Write down all the wants, even the ones that seem a little embarrassing.
After you have a long list, dig in a little on each one and see if there is a deeper desire under any of these wants. For example, do you want greater flexibility because you want to be able to hike tall mountains with your son? Do you desire greater calm because your family relationships are complex? Do you want more energy because you are trying to fulfill your heart's dream? Just see if any of your desires can be unpacked a little more.
2. Vision
What does wild success look like?
Write down what it looks like if your purpose of committing to a home yoga practice is fulfilled, and the results are completely amazing. Really let yourself go blue sky on this one.
Once you've envisioned what it looks like to be wildly successful, your work is pretty much done. Our minds automatically begin to resolve the dissonance between where it perceives we are now and where we are trying to get to. The next three steps will pretty much fill themselves out.
3. Mind-Mapping
What are your perceived obstacles to starting?
For example, you might name the kids' school schedule as a constraint, the need to rearrange the living room, lack of an open space in your home, no clear wall on which to practice your inversions, your 5 dogs, lack of yoga props, and so on.
4. Organization
How and in what order can these problems be solved?
The mind is a natural problem solver and sorter. Once she is given a clear list of obstacles, she will begin to work on the problem of removing them. Allow yourself to make ordered lists of next actions to set up your successful home yoga practice.
5. Action
Take the next correct action.
The next action will be obvious. Do it. Check it off the list. You are this much closer to beginning your home yoga practice. For more hints, read our "9 Tips for Establishing a Successful Home Yoga Practice."
You might be surprised at the end of this exercise, that a home yoga practice is not actually the most effective way to fulfill your desires. Allow this to be okay. As we dive into the practice of self awareness, the most delightful part is meeting someone new. The tough part is being willing to take the next steps to realize her. And, of course, the ultimate joke is that the part of us that us making all these plans to improve is the one that will eventually find herself at ease with the way things are.