Want to stay committed to your practice? If you said yes, you must make time and space for it.

I do yoga at home and at Exhale Sacred Movement in Venice Beach, CA. When I’m at home, I lay out my mat near the door and window to the balcony, crack the windows a touch to let in some light, and get on myyogaonline (which is my favorite site for yoga classes). If I need some air, I crack open the door to get a breeze to keep my body temperature level, especially if I’ve just woken up and feel too warm. While the space I have is fine to put my mat in, as it isn’t cluttered or loud, eventually I would like to have a spot in my home dedicated to yoga and meditation, much like how people have personal gyms in their houses.

When you have a space dedicated to your practice, you have a space that stays constant even as the world changes around you. With this kind of dedicated space, you don’t have to worry about moving furniture or finding peace and quiet. Always practicing in the same place day after day allows you to find comfort in the familiarity of it so that you can better notice subtle changes in your body, breath, mind, spirit, and the world around you. You can create an altar, paying respects to whatever your heart finds truth in and to people you miss and love.

YJ also has a few comments on how to create a yoga space:

1. Be energy efficient and use natural light to the best of your ability. Put in skylights or place your mat near a window.

2. Transform space you already have into a yoga haven just by moving some stuff around and keeping it that way.

Some other things to consider when creating a space for your yoga and meditation:

-be sure you have enough space to move your body 360 degrees.

-turn off any alarms or notifications on your computer

-put your cell phone on silent and in another room

-have a source of fresh air but don’t practice in a cold room

-have all equipment you might need on hand a head of time: blocks, straps, water, etc.

-have a blanket always on hand. This is especially useful after you’ve gotten through a tougher session and you’re a little bit sweaty and then have to lay in savasana. You can get cold.

-external cleanliness allows for internal peace. Keep the area clean and simple.

-you can use candles, incense, or a diffuser to change the mood of your practice.

-be sure your mat is on a level surface.

Where do you practice yoga and meditation? What does it look like, feel like, smell like?

Happy Friday and namaste.

Jenna

photo courtesy of lululemon athletica