One of the questions I hear most often from students is, “What yoga can I do from home?” My answer, without hesitation, is usually one of two things: do what you love, or practice Sun Salutations.

1. Do What You Love

The best yoga practice is the one that actually gets you onto your mat. So if there's a particular pose or sequence that feels good in your body, start there. You don't need an hour. You don't even need 20 minutes. Sometimes, a few minutes of movement is exactly what your body needs.

In fact, you may already be doing more yoga than you realize. When you climb out of bed in the morning and reach your arms overhead with a deep breath in, that counts! Add a gentle stretch to the right and left, fold forward toward your toes in Uttanasana, and you've created yourself a little morning yoga practice.

Maybe Child's Pose feels wonderful to you. Maybe you love Downward-Facing Dog. Or perhaps, after a long and especially tiring day, the very best thing you can do is lie down in Savasana or practice Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose.

Don't underestimate the value of a short, quiet Savasana. Sometimes what we need most isn't more effort, more stretching, or more strengthening. Sometimes we simply need to stop.

2. Practice Sun Salutations

If you're looking for something a little more structured, I recommend Sun Salutations. I like to begin with about five rounds of Sun Salutation A, followed by five rounds of Surya Namaskara B. This sequence forms the foundation of my own practice and is one of the simplest ways I know to move your entire body while connecting movement with breath.

There is a surprising amount packed into this relatively short sequence. Those eight to twelve postures create a self-contained yoga practice that warms up the spine, lengthens and strengthens the muscles, and moves the major joints through a wide range of motion. The combination of movement and deep, rhythmic breathing can also build cardiovascular stamina while helping to quiet and focus the mind. Before long, the physical sequence becomes almost meditative because your breath and movement begin to work together.

And there's something else I love about Sun Salutations: they get easier.

Not necessarily because the poses themselves change, but because your body begins to remember the sequence. Once you've practiced it enough times, you don't have to think about what's coming next. You simply move. And that familiarity can be incredibly satisfying.

Once you memorize this short sequence and begin practicing it regularly — every morning is ideal! — you may find yourself actually craving the routine. There is something wonderful about starting the day by moving your body, breathing deeply, and giving yourself a few uninterrupted minutes before the rest of the world starts making demands of you.

If you haven't memorized the sequence yet, print off this PDF and keep it beside your mat. Use it as your cheat sheet until you know the sequence by heart.

Traditionally, yoga is done early in the day, before the hustle and bustle begins, with the quietude and warmth of sunrise. There's something beautiful about that tradition. When you make time for the practice — even a short one in your own living room — you're participating in something that has connected people across nations, cultures, and generations for thousands of years.

Yoga doesn't have to be complicated. It doesn't have to take an hour. And it certainly doesn't have to look a certain way. Remember: this is your practice :)

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