My Top Tips For Practicing Yoga At Home
Let’s face it, we don’t all have the time or the money to get to the studio everyday. Add the current state of the world- and some of us are finding it necessary to practice at home more often. Setting up a space to practice in your home is a really nice way to execute self-care.
You don’t need a whole room, or anything “fancy”. You also don’t have to spend a lot of money to make a cozy practice area. Full disclosure, I live in a very small house, and while I hope to one day have a yoga room, right now, I make due with a part of the living room. In fact, when I am going to use the space for practice- I have to push the couch back a bit. Not ideal, but it works. If I can do it in my teeny home- so can you! I encourage you to make something that works for you.
When setting up a space in your home- there are a few things to consider:
Floor
Props
Traffic (Minimizing Distractions)
Senses
1 - Floor
Practicing on carpet is tough. If it’s your only option, then it’s certainly doable- maybe consider an extra mat or two under you to flatten it out a bit. My favorite is a wood floor. If you are practicing in more of an “open area” in your home (like me)- you may have to run the vacuum or give it a quick sweep before throwing down your mat. I have pets; there’s nothing worse than a ball of pet hair rolling onto your mat in child’s pose- yuck.
If you’re looking for a great mat, check out the ones linked below. For a full review on all three mats, check out my blog post - The Top 3 Yoga Mats For 2022 - which goes into detail on these three mats.
2 - Props
Do yourself a favor and get props! I’m talking about: a set of blocks, a strap, a bolster or meditation cushion and a few yoga blankets. I use Mexican blankets I ordered from Amazon. In fact, my cushion and straps are from there too. So, as you can see, you don’t have to spend a ton of cash to have adequate props. Really the only prop I am particular about are the blocks because I like very sturdy ones. I have Manduka UN-bloks because I love the curved edge under my hand. Finally- as far as props are concerned- you need an empty wall, or a large, heavy piece of furniture for practicing inversions.
3 - Traffic
If you live alone and pet free- this won’t be an issue for you. I have a child, a dog, a cat and a partner- so traffic on and around my mat can be an issue depending on the time of day. If you have a separate room to use (first, consider yourself lucky), remember to close the door! Otherwise, I would suggest practicing when you your housemates are not home, or ask them to give you X amount of time alone. You may want to consider securing your pets as well. While the dog licking your face in downdog and the cat pawing you in savasana may be cute- we are trying to minimize distraction!
4 - Senses
We are talking about yours. What will you see, hear and smell while you are practicing? We are all different, so this is an opportunity to dive into what inspires you and will make your practice space special.
Sight. What do you want to see while you are practicing? I prefer to set my mat in front of a window because I am a nature lover and want my gaze to be at outside whenever possible. If you find the window distracting- too much traffic outside, ect.- then get a heavy curtain and hang some beautiful in your line of site. Maybe a favorite piece of art, or a brightly colored tapestry? Some people like to create a alter of sorts- a place for special pictures, crystals, and meaningful items. I have one of those, and while I like that it’s in the same room, I still choose to face my window.
Noise. What do you want to hear while you are practicing? If you want silence- first, is that possible? Do you need a noise machine to drown out the kids in the next room? I usually choose music because silence is hard to come by in my house. I pick a playlist depending on my mood. You can follow me on Spotify and use mine if you like. Although- side note, my account is messy… ha! You’ve been warned!
Scent. Finally, what do you want to smell while you’re practicing? I always burn something… sometimes it’s palo santo, sometimes sage, sometimes frankincense or sandalwood incense. I usually light a candle too.
Finally- the yoga!
If you are a seasoned practitioner you will most likely be comfortable listening to your body and a moving through a self-guided practice. If you are looking for guidance, I teach virtual private yoga which we can tailor for you and your specific needs. I also teach one public virtual class a week at 12p on Wednesdays on Zoom.
Hope you found this post helpful!
Thanks for being here! I’d love to connect with you. Stay tuned for more posts coming soon!
- Kat
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