Do you ever dream of having a place in your home that you can call your sanctuary?  Your private space to seek calm, peace, fulfillment, joy, or anything else you might need on a given day. This can sound like mere crazy talk if you have children, a significant other, or even a roommate that impedes on the thought of “me-time”. Well lean in my friends, because crazy thoughts can be conquered with a plan of action.

Allow me to share 4 steps to help you make this crazy talk into a tangible place of OM!

First, find a place that has an ideal floor.  While our first thoughts may go to beautiful, wood flooring that’s not always an option, nor is it a necessity in your yoga space.  The only thing you need is a floor that isn’t squishy, so plush carpets are the only thing you want to avoid, helping protect the joints in your wrist and ankles. A hard, smooth, clutter free zone is ideal. Luckily many types of flooring can fall into this category including tile, laminate, vinyl, and short-napped carpet that doesn’t have a thick foam pad under it. Has a space within your home popped into mind? Good! Now go declutter the floor to about the size of roughly 9ft x 9ft (2.7m x 2.7m), and congrats the hardest part is done!

Second, grab a chair! Not your favorite comfy chair, but one that can support you during your practice. Look for a chair with an upright back, with no arms. Then opt for a chair with a wide, unpadded seat. Most importantly make sure the chair is stable, with even legs, and if possible, padding on the feet.  Note, a folding chair from your local box stores can be a perfect match for all the mentioned criteria. A folding chair can become your designated yoga chair, so every time you get it out you automatically begin in a yoga mindset. A perfect chair will cost between 10-14$. That’s about two to three lattes worth of money in exchange for a lifetime of yoga, what a steal!

Third, set the tone with lighting! You want your space to be inviting and welcoming. So, you’ll be lured to take part in a weekly, or even daily practice. Natural light is always the preferred light in my opinion, so if your current idea for a space doesn’t contain a window. Go see if there’s an option B.  If not, thank goodness for the light bulb, am I right!? If light bulbs are your best friends for your space, then make sure to select a soft-light bulb with low wattages. Gather lamps with shades, so the softness of the light may be diffused even more. Remember, with lighting you’re creating the tone to unplug, so you may seek stillness and calm without having to light a million candles. Now, that could be pretty, but I think it would create more a sense of panic when you closed your eyes, no?

Lastly, the most fun part of having the space is personalizing the space.  When you personalize your space by adding unique items, textures, and color tones you are literally making it your own. It becomes your brand for your yoga practice at home.  So be creative and have fun here, because this is a space, that when you walk by it, you instantly wish you were in it practicing your yoga, instead of doing laundry or paying bills. Take moment and think of the things that bring you joy and them limit them to your top three or four as not to over clutter your defined space. Seek items that appeal to all your senses. 

For example, in my home yoga space you’ll find photos of the ocean, that’s my ultimate, happy place visual. I prefer to keep my room quiet, it’s more restful for my ears. I like to light a candle with citrus and herbal scents, because it’s so pleasing to my sense of smell. Then I have wool, woven throw pillows that I like to use under my feet, or under my head to support me before, and after my practice.  The texture creates a sense of warmth for me and I enjoy it! I’m fortunate to have a space with lots of windows, so natural light and plants complete the sense of welcome that I desire in my space.

I promise you can do this for yourself.  Keep it as simple, or as fancy as you need it to be while keeping the sense of an open, clutter free space in mind.  Start by knowing you deserve a space that allows you to decompress, practice, reflect and grow as a person. Then jump in with all that you have and make it happen. Cheers!