I am well indoctrinated by my Yoga Center teachers. Once in a while I skip the beginning and ending bits of my practice. This never happens in class, so I hate skipping them at home.
I start off with my hands in Namaskarasana (prayer position), eyes closed.
Sometimes I chant the invocation to Patanjali.
Sometimes I chant for peace (Om shanti shanti shanti om). The first shanti is for peace within me, the second is for peace in the circle of the people I know, and the third is for peace for the world.
Sometimes I am silent.
At the end of my practice I feel wrong if I don’t rest in Savasana (Corpse) for at least five minutes. Then I sit with hands in Namaskarasana again.
Sometimes I speak or think what Margaret used to say at the end of class: “Bow head to heart. Surrender ego to compassion, and honor the divine within.”
Sometimes I chant for peace.
Sometimes I am silent and grateful.
Namaste.
Practice Notes 
Me too, Mary. It is such a nice way to start and end my practice. Sometimes if I’m running late I will only have 1 or 2 minutes in Savasna, but I remember one of my teachers saying, you should always practice Savasna to integrate the changes from your practice into your body. And I smiled because I often also hear Margaret or Holly’s voice in my head saying: “Bow head to heart. Surrender ego to compassion, and honor the divine within”