The beauty of Yoga is that it can be practiced anywhere … It’s relatable across all cultures, languages, & countries and can be practiced independently in the comfort of your home, outside in Mother Nature, or in a room full of people … The Options Are Endless but just how do you create a home Yoga space that works?
Once you learn the basic postures, practicing Yoga can be easily integrated into your daily routine and, over time, transform your entire life (yes, Yoga is that powerful). But first, you need to find yourself a dedicated space to carry out your home Yoga practice.
Your personal Yoga space can be any room where you can practice Yoga without hitting any walls, furniture, or feeling uncomfortable. If you are fortunate enough to have a spare room, you have the perfect opportunity to create a dedicated Yoga space that can mirror for favourite Yoga studio or allow your imagination to run by creating your very own home Yoga studio.
While practicing Yoga every day may only be for the “die-hards” and most definitely be challenging, being able to practice whenever you want, and in a sacred space inside your own home can be so convenient and might just be everything you had dreamed your Yoga practice to be and so much more.
Here’s how to set up a suitable home Yoga space to take your practice to another level.
Where To Create Your Home Yoga Space
The good thing about a Home Yoga Space is that you can create it virtually anywhere …
- Choose a place that’s free of distractions (or almost free) … A space just for “me-time”!!
- If you have a suitable outdoor space & live in a warmer climate … this is a great option too
- Try & choose a room or area with an abundance of natural light;
- A flat surface is essential for balancing postures;
- Personalise your space … Put trinkets on your bedside table, side table, or nightstand, hang a dreamy decoration, diffuse some oils in an Essential Oil diffuser, light a scented candle or incense, add some indoor plants or flowers, strategically place a statue or figurine … Anything that makes you feel good, connected & inspired;
- Or anywhere that lights your inner fire or inspires you to step on the mat more often.
Yoga Room Ideas
Whilst the options are endless when designing your Yoga sanctuary, there are a few basic props & necessities you will need to make your Yoga space simply perfect.
But … before you begin filling your room with incense, a Himalayan salt lamp, statues of Buddha, a singing bowl, & so on, you might need to consider the practicalities of what else the room will be used for!!
If it is only being used as your “Personal Yoga studio”, then the sky is the limit!! But if other people will be using the room, you may want to scale it down.
Here’s my list of must-have items for my home practice …
- Mat – I keep a lightweight, inexpensive Yoga mat for outside and a more heavy-duty one for indoor Yoga classes. It is well worth the investment to get a good quality Yoga mat;
- Towel – For comfort and absorption of any sweat, especially if you like to practice hot Yoga. But, it doesn’t have to be a specific Yoga towel – any towel is fine!! Additionally, it can be used as a Yoga prop or Meditation cushion;
- Bolster – A bolster is a beautiful prop with so many benefits – it helps open the heart, supports the lower back, aids in restorative postures, helps you go deeper into a pose, or can just be a prop for afternoon naps. Alternatively, if you do not have a bolster, a big firm rolled up pillow or towel does the job;
- Strap – A Yoga strap can aid in flexibility and make a lot of poses more accessible for many people. Even if you are flexible, it just makes everything feel more comfortable and there tends to be less strain on the neck and shoulders. Alternatively, a towel or belt will do the same trick;
- Set of Blocks – These can help you feel grounded, balanced, lengthened, or relaxed in virtually any Yoga pose. Alternatively, if you don’t happen to have a Yoga block … No problem!! Just grab some sturdy books or have that special someone make you some blocks from leftover wood. Even a couple of cans of tinned food can work just as well as a Yoga block!!
- Eye Pillow – A must for relaxing in Savasana;
- Essential Oils – To uplift & enhance the Yoga practice. I am fortunate to have specific Yoga blends from DoTerra to diffuse whilst practicing Yoga. Otherwise I would diffuse various combinations of Eucalyptus, Wild Orange, Sandalwood, Peppermint, Lemongrass, Easy Air & Lavender Peace … Earthy, Woody & Grounding with a hint of freshness!!
- Music – You always need something to listen to whilst you practice Yoga!!
- Good Internet Connection – Really necessary if you want to “live” stream a class onto your TV. This will ensure you get limited buffering & make watching any live (or recorded) classes so much easier & enjoyable. I like Apple TV to do this although I have also used Chrome cast.
What To Do In Your Home Yoga Space?
Whilst the list is endless here are some of my favourites …
- Practice Yoga
- Some light stretches before bed to help quiet the mind & relax the body
- Meditate
- Practice pranayama (breathing) exercises
- Read books, write in a journal, reflect on the day or week ahead
- Get creative – make a vision board, dreamcatcher, or craft project
- Take a nap
- Enjoy a cup of hot tea or comforting Chai.
A Yoga Space within the safety of your own home can be anything you want it to be!! So open up your mind & heart to the possibilities and share with me what you’ve created in your “HOME SANCTUARY”.