Private yoga and chair yoga at home in Short Hills, NJ

Slow on purpose

A typical session is seated for most of the hour. The instructor will guide you through breathing first, then easy stretches for the neck, shoulders, back and legs. If you feel steady standing, there may be some simple balance poses holding the back of a chair. Everything is optional.

Instructors adjust every movement. A stiff shoulder means a smaller reach; a tender knee means a different stretch. That's the advantage of private yoga: the whole session is built around one person.

A first session usually starts with a short conversation. What feels tight? What hurts? What would you like to be able to do more easily, like turn your head to back out of the driveway, reach a high shelf, or bend to tie a shoe? The answers shape every session that follows, and the instructor will ask, as the weeks go by, what's changing.

Quiet places to practice

Short Hills was laid out by Stewart Hartshorn as a community for people who loved nature, and it still shows. The Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary is a peaceful place to sit and practice slow breathing, with birdsong doing half the work. At Old Short Hills Park, there's a bench at the far end of the field looking over the pond.

Most of the yoga, though, happens at home, and that's where the habit forms. Instructors often teach one short routine you can do on your own in five minutes each morning.

Who it fits

Gentle yoga fits people who want to move more but don't want anything strenuous, people who feel stiff in the mornings, and people who'd like a calmer mind. It's also a good choice for someone recovering their confidence after a period of being less active.

It's not a medical treatment. Anyone with recent surgery, a joint replacement or a heart condition should ask their doctor first and tell the instructor what they've been cleared to do.

Cost

Instructors set their own hourly rate between $50 and $150. Most people book one hour, though 1.5 hours allows a slower pace. A $2.50 booking fee and a 10% service fee apply. Book a single session, four weeks at the same time, or every week until you cancel.

Weekly sessions work best for most people, with the short home routine on the days between. Booking four weeks at the same time is an easy way to see whether it suits you before committing to more.