We love yoga in the studio. The atmosphere, meeting friends and like-minded people, finding time for ourselves, having good teachers to correct and push us to the next level or just help us with our centering. Although I practice a lot of yoga at home, it's still always great to go to my studio and find a special time for me there every time.
Then again, there are always days when I get off work late, when my favorite class is just booked up, or days when I just don't want to meet larger groups of people anymore. Both of these feelings are super natural and normal. Even though I don't go to the studio on those days, I still often feel the need for some rest and balance, or exercise, to balance my inner self. Then I need to get on the mat, pick a great sequence online or from a book, and practice as long and intensely as my body needs that day.
The benefits of doing yoga at home for me are:
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Yoga at home gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of time and you often save long journeys
In stressful everyday life, 30-60 minutes can work wonders -
Yoga in your own four walls is much more intimate and personal than in a studio.
On the one hand you are in a familiar environment and on the other hand you are, if you like it, completely alone. Alone with yourself and your thoughts in complete silence -
Personalized ambience is the best reason to practice yoga at home
I always have my accessories at hand, from candles to incense and books. That's just great because, of course, my practice needs change every day -
You not only save time, but also a lot of money
As individual as the classes in the studio are, they can be expensive. Calculated over the month, that can quickly amount to several hundred euros. However, that shouldn't prevent you from this great practice, because yoga is super easy to do at home
Many yogis have already recognized the advantages for themselves and then cherish the desire to create a space for themselves at home where they can practice as undisturbed as possible. However, practicing yoga at home can be a major overcoming for many. If you are not used to practicing it at home, as is so often the case, you have many blocking questions in mind:
- Do I have enough space for the practice at home?
- How do I manage not to be disturbed by roommates, partners or family?
- Do I have all the utensils I need for my practice?
- Don't I need a trainer to practice yoga?
I can reassure you: we all feel the same way!
Many yogis we speak to report similar starting problems. But that's completely normal and today I want to show you how you can do it in five simple steps to practice yoga regularly at home.
The 5 steps to your own yoga home studio are:
1) Location - What is the best place for yoga in the home?
2) Yoga accessories - which yoga accessories can I use for yoga at home?
3) Give your yoga studio a personal touch!
4) Establish routines to achieve your own goals.
5) Do yoga with friends!
So, let's go!
1) What is the best place for yoga at home?
Usually this space already exists in your apartment or house, you just have to rediscover and design it for yourself. You should choose your yoga corner according to the following criteria:
Place
Sufficient space to practice yoga is of course the most important thing. I would recommend you to find a place where your yoga mat fits next to each other about three times and where you can stand with your arms outstretched
Quiet
I am a big fan of shavasana and meditation. For me this means a perfect start to the day as often as it helps me to find peace at the end of a stressful day.
A little hint: Cooled eye pillows often work wonders here.
The environment in which I practice yoga must therefore be as calm as possible for me. This applies to active practice, but also to meditation. So you manage to concentrate and unwind as much as possible.
Light
Sunlight brings us positive energy, improves our well-being and releases us from the practice with a small smile. Ideally, you should find a place that has plenty of natural light, but where it doesn't get too hot in summer. It is best to ask yourself when you would like to do yoga in order to then see where there is great light in your apartment at that time where you feel comfortable.
2) Which yoga accessories can I use for my yoga at home?
I am a proponent of practicing yoga according to one's needs and physical abilities. Your accessories should be as individual as the practice. A distinction is made between practice-related yoga accessories and supporting yoga accessories.
Practical yoga accessories include, for example
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Yoga blocks
Can be very supportive for both beginners and advanced yoga practitioners to achieve progressive execution of asanas or for practicing more complex asanas. -
Straps
Can be very helpful, especially for beginners, to achieve a deeper stretch in the asana or to obtain a better and healthier posture. -
Bolster
Is a popular and versatile yoga accessory. It is a kind of pillow that not only facilitates the execution of some asanas, but also allows ways to vary the exercises according to your own needs. A gentle opening of the chest area as well as the ribs and abdomen are just a few of the great benefits of this accessory.
Supportive yoga accessories include, for example
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Candles
Candles and most of all Scented candles determine the atmosphere in the room and let us switch off with their scent and mentally drift to another place. -
Eye or meditation pillow
Help you during shavasana or mediatiton by their fragrance and darkening for the eyes to let you fully unwind. -
Singing bowls
Many yogis know singing bowls only from the studio, but there are also small singing bowls for home or for smaller rooms. They bring a soothing atmosphere at any time. -
Incense
Palo Santo and sage are my absolute favorites here. They put your yoga studio in a great mood or purify the air before and/or after the practice. -
Cleansing sprays for the yoga mat
Often underestimated, but important if you want to enjoy your yoga mat in the long run. When properly cleaned, your yoga mat will remain fragrant and well cared for a long time.
Of course, these are just examples, but usually you don't need much more for home practice, especially if you are just starting to make your home really suitable for yoga. Think about what your practice should look like in the future, what goals you are pursuing and then decide which accessories can support you on your journey.
3) Give your yoga studio a personal touch!
For me, one of the great benefits of having a home yoga practice is that I can personalize the space the way I want it and the way my practice requires. Whether it be plants, pictures, books, or simply yoga accessories. You should feel comfortable in that particular place. This makes it easier to get into the right mood, motivates and thus automatically makes you practice much more regularly.
The thought of my home studio motivates me to roll out the mat and get started again and again. Although I don't have a separate room for yoga, it's still very functional, but at the same time homey.
A little tip: Organize yourself well, for example with one Yoga mat holder. This way, even in rooms that you might share with others, you can store all your accessories and especially your yoga mat safely and in a space-saving way. When it's time for your practice, you'll have everything at hand and be in your own yoga studio in seconds.
4) Establish routines to achieve your own goals
I love routines. I'm sure many have read about them, but may not have tried them yet. I can only recommend trying it. For me, it's a classic morning routine that I've incorporated meditation and yoga practice into. The great thing about it is that I get up in the morning and don't even ask myself if I want to do yoga that day. I just do it because it's a regular part of my day. Just as most probably don't think about their breakfast anymore, I don't think about when I roll out the yoga mat or meditate.
Routines offer you great benefits
- You practice yoga more regularly;
- You don't have to set aside a time of day on your calendar because the time is always the same and can be permanently written into the calendar;
- If you have roommates, they will know very quickly when "your yoga time" is and will know when you want to be undisturbed and therefore won't interrupt you during your practice;
- Going to your yoga mat will be much more natural, because it will no longer cost you any effort.
Try it out, create your routine as it fits into your day and as your body needs it. If you find it difficult at first, it's normal, but don't give up too quickly. What can help you to get into the right habit are, for example, online yoga challenges. You can find a variety of teachers online who offer yoga challenges for different periods of time, challenging you to get back on the mat every day, often for as little as 15-20 minutes a day. For me, this was a great way to get into my yoga routine.
5) Do yoga with friends!
Just because you practice yoga at home doesn't mean you have to do it alone. If space in your apartment or house allows, invite friends to your new yoga studio and do a few sequences together. Of course, this also works wonderfully online. Especially when it comes to establishing routines, as described in 4), meeting friends can do wonders. Plus, it's just great to experience the practice together, exchange ideas, and ask for feedback or correction if necessary, which you might otherwise only get in the studio.
I can only recommend creating this personal space and gaining a lot of freedom for your practice. You will practice more regularly and in a more relaxed manner and thus simply gain time and quality of life.
You can already find many utensils for yoga practice in the Yogacito online shop. With the Wall shelf for your yoga mat for example, you always lay a great foundation and take the first step to your own little yoga studio at home.
Have a lot of fun creating your yoga corner at home and write me a feedback on service@yogacito.com or Instagram (yogacito_berlin).
Namaste,
Taise and the Yogacito team