Secrets of a Successful Personal Practice

Making gains in your personal home practice

Successful ventures into different states of consciousness usually take some planning on your part. First of all it is usually best to develop a routine consisting of a specific set of postures that you can repeat over and over again. This routine should be able to be performed without your thinking about the moves or postures involved. In Tai Chi you can work with the form and in yoga you can develop a flow sequence of postures with a vinyasa (balancing Pose like Downward Facing Dog and Extended seal) between each posture. This rebalances your body as you flow from posture to posture. The physical part of the practice should take from 25-40 minutes to perform. The breath in Tai Chi should not be tied to the movements and the concentration should be on your center of gravity while the breath in yoga should be synchronized with the expansions and contractions of the body.

Both internal arts are actually pathways into your own true nature. They are methods of calming the fluctuations of the mind so that your deeper real nature can float to the surface of your psyche. Once you are in this state of calmness most of your life decisions will come from your intuition. Your Heart Center will open up and waves of love and caring will permeate your being.

This takes a long time with a lot of home personal practice under your belt. Many people who practice these internal arts prefer to practice within a class framework. However I have found that a viable home personal practice is the best way to go.

Listed below are some tips to help you climb the mountain.
1- Find a quiet room in your house to do your practice. Dress in clean comfortable cloths and shut off any distractions.
2- Try to practice at the same time each day. This way your body is prepared for your practice.
3- Do not eat before your practice. If necessary have a fruit or a light snack. Remember your digestion will stop when your practice starts.
4- Treat your practice with respect and the dignity it deserves.
5- Be mindful of each movement and breath you take.
6- Your practice should look like a long dance done with grace and fluidity.
7- Imagine that the air has density and that you are swimming thru it.
8- Be thankful for your practice time each day.

The above directions, if followed daily for a long period of time will start the process of opening the doorway. Try to incorporate a period of meditation after each practice. Mind, body and breath will unite with your soul and your spirit will soar.

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