Creating a home yoga studio
In 4 easy steps…
Today I want to share with you my top tips for creating your own yoga studio at home. No matter how much (or little space you have), creating an inviting space is an important part of creating a consistent yoga practice for yourself.
Ok, lets dive in.
Dedicated space
Find a place in your home just for you and your practice. Whether its in the corner of your bedroom, home office, loft or lounge, having a dedicated place where you have space for your mat and can leave your yoga equipment sets you up for success. Having one place also helps your brain associate a certain location with yoga, and you might even find yourself wanting to hop on the mat every time you glance at your space - the same way we often feel peckish when walking past the fridge.
Nobody wants to start rearranging and packing away stuff just to do yoga, so this also removes any uneccesary barriers. Make it easy for yourself!
Tati: My yoga mat lives permanently in my lounge, and I can easily hop on in between WFH meetings, after the gym, first thing in the morning, etc. During my flatsharing days I had an absolutely TINY bedroom, the only part of the living space which wasn’t communal, so I wedged my yoga mat right between my bed and cupboard, and it lived there permanently. Worked so well, and I was kind of “forced” to roll out of bed and right onto my mat. No excuses not to practice!
You really don’t need a lot of space.
Ambiance: Lighting, sounds & scents
Our modern world is busy and many of us are bombared with stimulation day in and day out - junk light, advertising, sounds and city noises, air pollution, digital - you name it. Having a sanctuary to recharge and rest from the overstimulation can be very nourishing for the body, mind & spirit.
Lighting: I’d recommend soft or natural lighting if possible, perhaps a candle to set the mood for restorative classes.
Sounds: Noises can often be quite disturbing, so try find a quiet place, especially when practing yin yoga or yoga nidra. Turn your notifications on silent, tell your coinhabitants to respect your time for a bit, and perhaps turn on a nice yoga playlist (there are so many to choose from on Spotify) if you have a lot of traffic noise outside.
Scents: If you enjoy nice aromas, why not add some incence or essential oils? Make sure to use toxin free ones though, and obviously if they are an irritant to you - skip this.
Tati: Palo Santo or an organic essential oil in my diffuser, along with a candle for yin yoga practices are some of my fav ways to make my space more “magic”. Even just having my plants around helps keep the air clean. Here is one of my Spotify yoga playlists.
None of these are essential but can add a special touch to your space.
Clutter free
This ties in with the overstimulation point above, but feeling overwhelmed by too many things around you can make it more challenging to get into the zone, setttle into your practice and let your nervous system relax. By all means have objects around that are meaningful to you - crystals, singing bowls, plants, cushions, whatever floats your boat, but often less is more. Sometimes having a free space can give us some much needed headspace.
Tati: I generally live a pretty minimal life when it comes to physical possessions, but especially around my yoga space I like to keep things tidy and clean. This includes visual clutter. Items in my space include a few plants, a singing bowl and a stack of balancing pebbles.
Your external world influences your internal world.
Equipment
Although strictly speaking you can absolutely do yoga with no equipment, having a good quality yoga mat (preferably from sustainable materials), and some other bits and bobs, can really enhance your practice and help you deepen your practice. Here are some other things you might consider adding to your space of time (and as needed):
Mat
Blocks and Bricks
Strap
Bolster
Eye Pillow
Cushion
Blanket
Singing bowl
What else am I missing? …
Tati: I don’t have that much equipment, and it did take me a while to build up to what I have now. Namely, an incredibly grippy, natural yoga mat, 2x blocks, 2x bolsters, a strap, and for restorative classes I also use blankets, cushions, and an eye pillow to get extra cosy.
Hope these were helpful for you. Would love to see pics of your yoga space.
Let me know if you’d like a deep dive on why my yoga mat is literally the best ;)
