Are you unable to make it to your local community center for a yoga session? Did you forget to wash your yoga gear and would rather not be seen in public? Are you a beginner and dread the thought of being compared to those who are more advanced? If you’ve answered yes to either one of or all these questions, then creating a private and personalized at-home yoga space may just be what your body and mind need. That’s why we’re sharing tips for how you can get a flexible fix from the comfort of your own home (and just in time for International Yoga Day, too). Keep scrolling to learn more about this global event and how you can transform any ordinary space into a Zen oasis.
What + When is International Yoga Day?
Yoga is more than a series of stretches. It’s about connectivity, balance, and divinity. To honor this ancient practice and acknowledge the power it has on the mind, body, and spirit, the United Nations deemed June 21st as the International Day of Yoga and has been celebrated yearly since 2015. Simply put, it’s a day to recognize the importance and influence yoga has on those who practice it and encourage others to make not only their physical health a priority but their mental health, too.
And if you’d like to take part in this global celebration virtually, you’re in luck! You can tune in on UN WebTV between 8:30 to 10:00 am EST to listen to a panel discussion about how yoga has a positive impact on personal wellbeing and to watch (and of course engage in) various yoga posing demonstrations. If you’d like to read more about what yoga is, the event, and why we celebrate this meditative practice, you can do so here.
How-to Create an At-Home Yoga Space
Below are six simple steps to achieve the perfect, peaceful at-home yoga space!
Corner of your bedroom. Floor of the kitchen. Spot on your balcony/patio. Any of these areas can easily become the perfect at-home yoga spot as long as they’re spacious enough. You can’t successfully nail your Wheel Pose if you’re about to knock over a book or plant, right?
The best way to determine which spot will work for your twisting and bending endeavors is by taking your yoga mat and testing out a few poses. If you’re able to complete them without compromising the pose and/or bumping into a countertop or nightstand, chances are you’ll be just fine when completing a full yoga routine. It’s also important to keep in mind the amount of traffic that moves through communal spots in your home throughout the day. If the patio is often rammed in the evenings, especially now that the weather is heating up, perhaps scheduling a meditative session in the AM is best. Who wouldn’t want to stretch to the sound of morning robins?
There’s nothing quite like a color changing lamp or a set of string lights to create a Zen state of mind and set the tone for your steady breathes and beginner or advanced stretches.
Simply put, the type of lighting you want to incorporate into your space should depend on the style of yoga you’ll be doing. If you’re in the mood for a calming, restorative session, adding some candles in a low-light environment will help soothe your spirit and bring tranquility to any area of your home. But if you’re looking to kick things up a notch, allowing a lot of natural light and perhaps a light therapy lamp into your space can help boost mood and get your body moving for a more high-intensity session.
Yoga can be completed in either warm or cool temperatures. And when you’re completing a solo class, you’re the one in control of the type of conditions you’ll be practicing in.
Traditional yoga is often completed in a cooler, air-conditioned environment but if you’re a fan of hot yoga, you can either take your session outdoors midday when it’s warmest or play around with your thermostat. But if you’re living with others, it’s probably best to avoid messing around with the temperature indoors and move outside, especially if you’re a fan of sweaty stretch sessions. And if the concept of hot yoga is foreign to you but has piqued your interest, you can check out this style and its health benefits here.
Water bottle. Yoga mat and block. Neck towel. Anything you’d bring to a communal yoga class is what you should have on hand in your own space.
And while you’re bringing essential items into your space, take the time to remove unnecessary ones out, too. Ensure that your cellphone is out of sight and that your TV or laptop are off (unless you’re following a routine on YouTube). Yoga is about unplugging from the hustle and bustle of the world and getting in tune with your mind, body, and spirit. And you can’t exactly be grounded when you have consecutive texts coming in from your BFF.
And lastly, you can’t have the perfect (and Pinterest-worthy) at-home yoga space without a lil’ décor.
We’re not saying to clutter your space with mini Buddha sculptures and antique heirlooms, but items such as succulents or floral arrangements, a nifty rug or wall hanging, and a candle or two will add just the right amount of beauty into your space while bringing those desired Bohemian-esque vibes into full force.
And there ya have it, folks! We hope you’ll keep these tips in mind when creating your own at-home yoga space. If you do happen to transform an area in your place into one that helps get your meditative mojo going, do connect with us on socials to let us know what it looks like and how much you enjoy practicing Downward Dog in your pajamas (hey, no one’s watching, right?). Or you can share how you’ll be celebrating International Yoga Day! Either way, we’d love to hear from you. Bye for now and happy yoga-ing!