YouTube yoga star Adrienne Mishler.

by Allison Hackman

If you’re anything like me and millions of people across the country, you have probably thought to yourself, “I should do more self-care” – whatever that means for you.

Especially around the new year, we tend to feel the pressure to tweak, improve or fix something about ourselves. Resolutions generally center around stopping a habit we have deemed unhealthy. For 2020, why not focus on what you want to invite into your life, rather than on what you want to take away?

Slowing down and allowing ourselves to be silent for a period feels increasingly unattainable, perhaps even unimportant in the demanding culture we live in. When deciding how to spend our rare moments of freedom, we often say we want to “do nothing.” This is usually code for watching television, chilling out on the couch, sleeping, snacking or any number of other low-energy, comfort activities. What if when we felt the need to “do nothing,” we tried something different once in a while without sacrificing time, energy or money? Enter at-home yoga.

As someone who has been flirting with a regular yoga and meditation practice since 2016, discovering at-home yoga has proven to be key. Personally, my favorite videos out there are by Yoga with Adriene, available for free on YouTube and on her website. Adriene offers a range of options that focus on anything from specific areas of the body, like the lower back, to bedtime relaxation.

One of the main perks of these videos for me, apart from her adorable dog and trusted “assistant” Benji, is the different lengths of the practices on offer. I frequently carve out time for shorter ones in the five to 20-minute range, with the occasional 45-minute session sprinkled in throughout the month.

Early on in her videos, Adriene nudges her viewers to trust that they’ve chosen the right video for this moment and to stick with it. She is an immediately endearing presence, with her come-as-you-are mentality, quirky personality and guiding mantra to “find what feels good.” Dedicated to making these practices accessible to all people regardless of flexibility, skill level or ability, everyone can find something that works for them.

Again, if you’re anything like me, there are literally dozens of other things that come to mind when a few moments of free time appear. It takes conscious effort to nudge myself toward a new video. Though I often don’t feel particularly spectacular during a practice, the newfound peace, energy and zest for life I feel in the end is undeniable. This yoga experiment will certainly continue in 2020.

Away from the classroom, we are able to show up however we are in the comfort of our own homes. So wherever you are on the yoga spectrum, from total novice to longtime practitioner, why not try out an at-home video this year? We generally feel a lot of resistance to small life changes, even when we acknowledge the potentially profound impacts they may have on our quality of life. With at-home yoga, there is no need to make a monetary commitment, you can wear whatever you want and you don’t even have to leave the house, which is particularly helpful during these frosty days. Really, what do you have to lose?

Allison Hackman works part-time at the Chestnut Hill Local and contributes as a freelance writer to a variety of publications.