It wasn't that long ago that I took my yoga practice to a new and transformative level. After several years of floating between a sporadic home-based practice and various classes at various studios, I finally tried Bikram yoga. I immediately fell in love with the feeling of strength and cleansing that followed each class. Bikram challenged me, mentally and physically, in a way that my previous practice hadn't. I was hooked. My enthusiasm for Bikram renewed my love for yoga and motivated me to practice more often. I even briefly entertained the thought of becoming a Bikram instructor. I felt like I had found a new home.

But circumstances change, and now I find myself, for various reasons, transitioning away from Bikram and back to a home-based practice. My studio is closing my favorite but sparsely attended 6:00am class, and other obligations make it hard for me to attend in the evenings. As much as I love Bikram, I've found myself longing for more flowing yoga sessions. I miss postures that aren't a part of Bikram's patented 26-pose sequence. And, with a new full-time job and school draining my energy, I find myself drawn to a gentler practice with a stronger focus on meditation.

I'm finding that doing yoga at home – and doing it with some degree of regularity – is easier than it was when I was newer to yoga. I can improvise and make up my own sequences without much effort. It's exciting to explore videos online and to know that whatever type of class I'm craving, I can find it – brief or lengthy, intense or relaxing. I can even go through the entire 90-minute Bikram series if I want to, though of course my house is considerably cooler than a 105-degree Bikram studio.

Practicing at home also allows me to practice yoga much more often – if only for 15 or 20 minutes at a time. A quick session after work can recharge me enough to dive into my studies – something that just wasn't possible with a 90-minute class at a studio half an hour away.

Of course, a home-based practice and a studio class are never mutually exclusive. All of these benefits were available to me before; I just wasn't open to them. I was so enamored with Bikram, I didn't feel that yoga was worth it if I wasn't sweating profusely with an instructor ordering me to keep my hips down. I know my Bikram studio is always there if I find myself craving a session in the hot box, but for right now, I'm enjoying experimenting with different styles. Being able to rest in an extra-long half-pigeon or kick up into an impromptu shoulderstand.

And that's the great thing about yoga. No matter where you are in your practice, yoga can give you what you need – whether it's strength and endurance, or peace and grounding. There is always a different facet to explore, a new challenge to surmount. And although it may be sad to move away from something I have loved, I know that no matter where yoga takes me, I will always be home.