6 Tips for Creating Your Ideal Home Yoga Space
By Hannah Moran, Studio Manager
Virtual Yoga. It’s new to many of us, both students and teachers alike. It’s weird, unfamiliar, and for some, admittedly hard to get used to.
While it’s certainly convenient to have a 0-minute commute to your yoga class, there are some unique challenges involved with practicing at home. As Inner Fire Yoga teacher Jennifer Fetterly stated in her recent blog, “I never stopped to dust the ceiling fan during ardha chandrasana when I was in a studio class.” 😂 Too true...
Part of what we love about Yoga Studios is having a space that is truly dedicated to yoga. Your mind and body just knows that when you walk into a studio, you’re there for a specific purpose. Studios are designed to be the space that we don’t have at home: quiet, peaceful, hot, and surrounded by like-minded individuals. Now, we’re being asked to create that space at home.
If you reacted like I did, you probably thought to yourself, “How on Earth is this going to work?” Well, it was definitely a challenge at first. There really wasn’t a lot of room for yoga in my small 1-bedroom apartment. I found myself having to change the orientation of my mat mid-class to make room for warrior 3. My two dogs were constantly laying down on my mat looking for pets and getting in the way of my vinyasas (albeit very adorably), and the sounds of my husband playing video games in the background made it difficult to focus.
Over the past 7 months, these things became the new normal for me. I made some small adjustments to my practice and my yoga space that ended up making a huge difference. As for the distractions, while I was unable to tune them out entirely, they actually became a welcome challenge to me. I started to see noticeable improvements in my ability to focus inward and tune out the outside world - which is what yoga and meditation is all about, after all :)
A little prep work can go a long way in having a good yoga experience at home, so I’ve come up with some tips that will help you create that ideal home yoga space.
Create a dedicated yoga space. Dedicate a spare bedroom or home office space (if you have it) to yoga. If not, even a corner of your living room will work! Keep all your yoga props in that space, lay out your crystals or candles, and leave your mat unrolled at all times if you can. Whenever you walk into that space, you’ll feel it in your bones - it’s yoga time ;) 🕉
Ask your family or roommates for some privacy. Don’t be afraid to ask for accommodations from your housemates! You deserve it. Let everyone know when you’re about to start a class. Consider making a small sign for your door: “Yoga class in progress” to let everyone know when you’re in the yoga zone.
Declutter and make room for yoga. If you live in a compact space and have a hard time finding room for your yoga mat, get creative with it! See if you can rearrange some furniture and improve the feng shui of your space. This article has some great feng shui tips for tiny living 🏡
Use the distractions to your advantage. For most of us, creating a 100% distraction-free yoga space is not an option. But that’s okay! Part of yoga is breathing through the distractions and observing how you react - or don’t react. Use it as an exercise in mindfulness and improve your meditation skills over time.
Missing the heat? Try a space heater. Many of us are used to the hot 🔥 studio rooms at Inner Fire Yoga. Invest in a space heater to simulate that heat, plus a humidifier for a little something extra :) Or, if your bathroom is large enough to practice in, steam it up with a hot shower and practice in there! 🚿 It sounds weird, I know - but it really works!
Missing the community? Turn your camera on! One of the best things about practicing in-person is that sense of community you get in a room full of sweaty yogis. Here’s the reality - it’s awkward to see yourself on camera. But it’s actually really fun to turn your camera on in our live Virtual classes! You can see yourself the way you would look at your reflection in the mirror. Others may follow suit, and pretty soon you can see the whole class on your Zoom screen practicing together - that’s the feeling of community that we know and love. Plus, it really helps the teacher out to be able to see their students, so they can give you helpful cues throughout the class.
You might try one or two of these tips, none of them, or perhaps all of them! Whatever you do, don’t give up on Virtual yoga. I encourage you to explore ways to embrace your home practice and everything that comes with it - the good and the bad - for this is the yoga that is available to us right now, and I’m grateful for it every day.
Do you have any home yoga tips that work well for you? Let us know in the comments below!