Creating a Yoga Studio Space at Home

Have you ever thought about creating a sacred space at home where you can practice yoga or meditate?

I’ve always had the goal of clearing a spot where I can do my home practice.

No matter if your home is spacious or small, creating an at-home yoga space is a great thing to do. I’ve even seen beautiful little backyard areas and corners in the garage transformed into custom, calm ‘studios!’

Here are some tips from Dane O’Leary at the Modernize.net team about how to create a yoga space at home.

How to Create a Yoga Space at Home

Not only is yoga helpful in becoming physically healthy, but it's also great for your soul. 

Many people invest in gym memberships and expensive classes in order to master the art of yoga under the impression that having a yoga studio at home is too expensive or requires too much space to be realistic. However, just about anyone can have a yoga studio at home. Here’s how you can create a home yoga studio where you can balance body, mind and spirit.

Less is More

When it comes to a yoga studio, you don’t need much in the way of furniture and décor. In fact, most experts and yoga instructors will tell you that less is more. In your minimalist yoga studio, the most essential thing is just to have the space to practice.

Serene Seclusion

Ideally, your at-home studio space will have a door you can close, so that you separate yourself from the rest of your home (and any kids or pets that want to join you!). 

However, not everyone has the space available to designate a room for just yoga. A home office or spare bedroom — rooms that aren’t frequently occupied or are only occupied by you — are great for doubling as an at-home yoga studio.

The Space

To inspire serenity and tranquility, your yoga studio should feature calm, muted cool colors and warm cream colors. The color palette shouldn’t draw attention, but rather recede into the background. Lighting is also important. Installing a dimmer so that you have full control of your studio’s light would be optimal. Lamps with a three-way switch also give you more control over the amount of light.

Intention

Accessorize your yoga studio with things that will remind you of yoga and of your intent to improve your body and mind. Candles create a calming, serene environment and come in a variety of calming fragrances such as lavender, lemon, and jasmine. It might be a good idea to invest in a sound machine or an iPod dock you can use to play calming music. Potted plants are also soothing and therapeutic, lending themselves to the mood of your sanctuary.

Flea markets and yard sales are great places to find other treasures for your yoga studio. A trunk would be useful for storing your yoga supplies and a bookshelf or wall shelves would house candles, books, and inspirational items. You might consider hanging some posters, pictures, or artwork on the walls, but make sure they embody tranquility; things like ocean and beach scenes, Impressionist and abstract art are great for an at-home yoga studio.

Finish on the Floor

Professionals say that the floor of your yoga studio is perhaps the most important feature of your at-home yoga studio. Most recommend hardwood floors since they don’t get as cold as tile and other types of floors, they give a little while you move while being firm enough for support, and they won’t hurt your knees. Carpets are too soft and are poor for stability, but would be a good second choice.

Every yoga enthusiast needs a good yoga mat, perhaps more than one if you plan to ever have companions join you in your yoga studio. Large pillows and cushions also make for great floor seating as well. 

Head to Modernize.com for more home ideas and inspiration. 

Thanks, Dane, for these awesome ideas!

Photos via Unsplash.

PS How to create a space for hot yoga at home.

The Edge in Yoga

The edge is where we come right up against ourselves and what we can do and be.

It is the boundary between where we are and where we grow, the place of comfortable discomfort, where all growing and healing happens.

The edge is the point in every pose when you are still within your capacities but are challenging yourself to go just a little bit farther. Stepping up to this edge and daring to leap is how you break through and thus break with old ways of being.

- Baron Baptiste, Journey Into Power

Last night I practiced falling in love with my yoga practice. The path there was simple: finding my edge, over and over. There was something electric about the work I did on the mat. I felt the energy present between my hands in samasthiti as we chanted om gam ganapataye namaha, my heart filling up. I could feel myself connect with the other yogis in the room, with the teacher, with a collective oneness in that first om.

Even during the warm up postures –core work while lying on my back, and a few rounds of cat/cow—I kept asking myself,

Where is my edge? What does it feel like to be gentle in the process of finding that place where I am reaching for something more?

Flowing through sun salutations allowed me to move deeper. Each repetition felt like an awakening, a compassionate unfolding, an expression of my Self in the moment.

When a pose became hard, I focused more on my breath. Instead of backing away, I allowed myself to feel into the sensations – the physical burn of muscles working, the emotional release of surrendering to the moment, the cognitive clarity of becoming wholly focused on only the breath.

Something clicked. I held side crow on each side for 5 breaths. I rose into bird of paradise fluidly, feeling ease and space in the posture. Headstand was a relief, a breakthrough into peace, simply a chance to breathe. During the third round of wheel pose, I straightened my elbows and knees. And when the teacher told us to come down, I still wanted more.

As I settled into savasana, I could feel energy moving up and down my spine with each inhale and exhale.

Sushumna Nadi, the center channel.

I could feel new space, new light.

I pushed through my edge last night. I trusted the words of my teacher, not resisting any moment or any pose. At the moments when I wanted to give up or allow myself to fall out, I stayed. I breathed deeper. I felt the heat in my body, the feelings of curiosity and elation. I noticed the thoughts coming and going, not attaching myself to them; instead, I stayed present in the body.

Today as you practice, I challenge you to challenge yourself. What are you holding back? What more can you give? What more can you soften?

At the moments when you want to give up, stay. Give yourself the gift of finding your edge.

Yoga at Home: My Favorite DVDs

Are you new to yoga and unsure where to start in the expansive, wild world of yoga DVDs? 

I'll admit: between Barnes and Noble, Amazon and all of the teacher blogs and websites out there, it's hard to know who's at-home practice routine is worth trying.

This post is for all of you yogis who want to keep your practice going at home, but don't know which DVDs are worthy of your time. This list includes all of the ones I'm a fan of, plus a few I've never tried but which look amazing. Hope it brings you many great hours at home on your mat!

Kundalini Yoga to Detox and Destress with Maya Fiennes

Rodney Yee: Yoga Burn

Seane Corn: Detox Flow Yoga or Vinyasa Flow

Morning Kundalini with Tommy Rosen via Gaiam TV

Fit Body Yoga with Gwen Lawrence via Gaiam TV

AM/PM Yoga for Beginners with Barbara Benagh

Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga Total Body Transformation (which I recently reviewed in detail)

As far as online resources/ subscription services go, I highly recommend GaiamTV.com. I want to try Yogis Anonymous  out sometime soon too. Any of you ever used it?

Here are three other DVDs on my must-try list:

Power Flow Yoga with Shiva Rea

Budokon  with Jason Olive

Yin Yoga  with Paul Grilley

Which yoga DVDs are your favorite? Please share your recommendations in the comments below. Happy living room yoga-ing! :)