Yoga has become a practice that almost everyone has tried at least once. It’s likely that many of you reading this are yogis, whether you partake in hot yoga, Ashtanga yoga, or yin yoga. While you may be lucky enough to be able to afford membership rates at studios—because, sadly, yoga is pretty expensive—many of us do yoga at home, either from YouTube, YogaVibes, or following our own practice. Even if you do practice in a yoga studio on the reg, chances are you likely to practice at home as well.
Let’s be real: Unless you are able to devote an entire room to practicing yoga, home usually isn’t the ideal yoga practice situation. So how to remedy that problem, least of all realistically, within budget, and even in your tiny apartment? Good news: You can create your own at-home yoga studio, making your practice more frequent, and just as calming and enjoyable.
Find A Space
To get started, first find where your designated yoga spot will be. This can be anywhere with enough room for your mat, and for you to comfortably stretch out your arms. This can be in your bedroom, or maybe there’s room in between a couch and wall in your living room, or perhaps (if you have one) a guest bedroom or study; it doesn’t really matter, as long as you can practice without being concerned with hitting a wall, or knocking something over. Remember, this will become your spot in your home to go to for yoga, so make sure you won’t have to worry about bumping your hand against anything.
Tidy Up
Once you have your yoga space, declutter it. For me, even though cleaning is something I detest doing, a tidy space makes me feel content. I don’t do well trying to cultivate focus and mindfulness when practicing yoga amidst clothes on the ground, stacks of books, and forgotten cups of tea. You don’t have to go all neat freak, but try to keep the area around your space tidy, clean, and with as little as distractions as possible. This way you can focus on the yoga, rather than focusing on your mess.
Set The Mood
Now that you have a clean yoga space at home, it’s time to bring the right energy into that space. Lighting is often underestimated in its capabilities: It can make us happy, wakeful or tired, anxious, alert, or peaceful. If possible, natural light is really nice to have while practicing yoga, but if for whatever reason you can’t incorporate natural light, try getting a dimmer switch for your lamp in your yoga space, or get a Himalayan salt lamp, or else a heavily shaded lamp. You can also add candles for light, but most importantly, you can use them to emit a peaceful scent throughout your room. Use candles with the scents of lemon, lavender, sandalwood, jasmine, or spearmint. Try the 100% vegan soy candles from Pacifica, with my fave being the Lotus Garden candle. If candles aren’t your thing, consider reed diffusers or incense.
Accessorize
By now, you officially have a space filled with natural light or dim lighting, that is clean, and filled with a relaxing scent. This may be enough for your own at-home studio, but to give it a little something extra—and to perhaps enhance the relaxing mood or to draw your attention—it is time to accessorize. If your yoga practice is more of a spiritual thing, consider getting a small Buddha or Ganesh statue. Or think about getting some wall art. Etsy has a wide selection of art prints for the yogi, ranging from prints featuring lotus flowers, the yoga symbol, or carrying inspirational messages. Lastly, don’t forget to store a yoga block, and a blanket or pillow near your mat, so they are always there when needed.
Welcome to your very own, personalized at-home yoga studio darlings. Now get practicing.