Wanting to create that perfect space for your home practice? Hannah West from Modernize has some great tips and hints! Check out her guest spot and get some inspiration….
Like eating a healthy breakfast, doing yoga before you start your day can raise your energy levels and boost your metabolism. It also reduces anxiety by letting you start off each day with a clean slate, free of distractions and in touch with yourself.
Dashing off to squeeze your studio lesson in before work can defeat the purpose of the calming and centering practice of yoga. If that describes your morning, maybe you should think about creating your own private yoga space at home. Even if you don’t think you have much space to work with, a little corner of your room is enough to help you start your day mindfully.
Declutter
First, you’re going to need enough room to stretch out. If you have to, rearrange a little furniture or even get rid of a few things you don’t need. Deflect distractions by removing objects from
your space, even if it means re-hanging a picture frame or poster somewhere else. Put distance between your special spot and the TV, the alarm clock, or your workspace. If necessary, hang or erect some kind of partition that separates you from the distractions of your living space.
Soften Hard Surfaces
Adding a little cushion to the floor will protect you from injury in addition to making you feel more comfortable. Even doing yoga on carpet can be hard on your back and neck if you don’t use a cushion. Aside from a yoga mat, you can consider rubber flooring tiles or cushions for meditation–anything to make sure discomfort won’t be a distraction.
Create Mood Lighting
Natural light coming in from outside on a sunny day can greatly contribute to your feeling of serenity. But peaceful lighting can be a challenge for people whose rooms have small windows or fluorescent overhead lights. Use partitions or even sheets from your linen closet to soften harsh light. Make sure you do this in a way that doesn’t create a fire hazard, and be careful to blow out candles after every session if you use them to set the mood.
Nail the Ambiance
You have your free space, your soft surface, and your peaceful lighting. Now you have the option to complete the sensory experience with calming sounds. The music you choose should give you the sense of spiritual retreat. You can also use a sound machine to feel more connected with nature and keep your mind a blank slate for meditation. For an extra touch of ambiance, throw in pleasant fragrances. Use scented candles, incense, potpourri, or even a plug-in scent to stimulate the part of your brain that regulates emotions. Scents like lavender, pine, and jasmine are known for their calming effects.
Find Inspiration
Removing distractions is vital to creating a yoga space, but that doesn’t mean removing every personal touch. Find something that inspires you and use it as the visual focal point of your space. Whether it’s a photograph of a distant landscape, a painting, a sculpture, or even a beautiful plant, whatever helps you both concentrate and clear your mind at the same time can serve as your inspiration.
For more design ideas and inspiration, head to Modernize.com
Thank you Hannah for the awesome article! Did you dedicate a space for your home practice? We would love to hear about it! Feel free to share below.
Want to take your practice out of the house and maybe to even a new country? Check out True Nature’s Global Retreats!
Set Intentions (It is never too late!)
Jessica Durivage-Kerridge – follow her on Instagram @whereismyguru
Last week on yoga retreat with Missy Balsam Yoga, we had an amazing group come together at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge. For our service “karma” yoga project, we reached out to a local tico family — a mother and daughter — to give their house new life with a fresh coat of paint.
Here is a letter written to us by our TNE Village Representative, Lindsay Padilla, that she sent after the end of a very rewarding day:
We noticed there was a really big hole in Ligia’s bedroom wall. It was there because their home had been robbed by a group of people. 
We had a cooking class, we practiced how to prepare coffee (real Costa Rican style). After that, I invited them to come and see my house and garden.
“Good morning is not just a word, its an action and a belief to live the entire day well. Morning is the time when you set the tone for the rest of the day. Set it right!”
2. Wait a while before turning on your computers
We often get caught up in thinking that mindfulness, love and compassion will reveal themselves to us in a climatic and dramatic way. We begin to “expect” something like this and with those expectations, we can miss the message that the present moment is sending us. And that is, that this very moment is enough.
So, what about the moments when you are sitting in traffic? Or, when you are arguing with your partner? Or when you walk into the laundry room and the clothes are stacked up to the ceiling and you wish you could just close the door and make them disappear? What about the moments when you feel overwhelmed with all there is to do and you wish you could manifest more hours in the day to get everything done? Well, those moments are just as real and just as important as the ones when you find yourself immersed in the delight and laughter of your children. We must be able to find presence in those uncomfortable moments as well. But, it takes time. It takes patience and most of all, it takes practice.