In order to experience the best yoga practice you can, the environment that you practice in is key.
Although it can be said, that when you become an experienced yoga practitioner, your yoga practice will be developed enough to allow you to practice anywhere (despite the environment or circumstances), the same generally can’t be said for many beginner and intermediate practitioners.
It is very normal for most practitioners to need to curate their environment to support the best moving meditation they can.
In this blog, we take a look at some of the best ways to set up your yoga room to support your practice—so that you can enter deeper levels of consciousness during your moving meditations.
What Makes A Good Yoga Room?
The aim of a yoga room and yoga space is to support and deepen your yoga practice—which is a moving meditation. It becomes a sanctuary to connect you with your inner stillness.
In order to enhance your yoga practice, there are certain practical aspects we can consider for your home practice space, along with referring to the traditional practice of yoga through ancient yoga scriptures.
1. Practice In Silence (Mauna)
It is commonplace to find music playing in yoga studio classes, but I actually highly recommend to practice in silence (other than the voice of your teacher).
Yes, some music and sounds can be used for sound meditation techniques, but in general, most music—especially music with lyrics—will cause a string of thoughts and pull you out of your moving meditation because you already have so much else to contend with during a moving meditation (such as yoga posture form, alignment, balance, and the breath).
For most practitioners, it can be hard enough to battle with the fluctuation of thoughts as it is, without adding another element of sound to the environment that will also occupy a portion of your senses and mind.
I find it good practice just to jump into the deep end in terms of removing all unnecessary sounds and just focus on improving the quality of your concentration using yogic meditation techniques right from the get-go.
Because many people are used to music keeping the mind busy, as opposed to concentrating and controlling their thoughts (and mental fluctuations), practising in silence (mauna) is commonly a little challenging for a couple of classes—and then it quickly becomes second nature.
2. Limit Candles And Scents (Such As Incense Or Essential Oils Burners)
There are a couple of different reasons why I caution the use of candles and scents within your yoga space…
Firstly, within your yoga practice not only is the aim to concentrate and focus the mind, but you’re also working with ‘subtle energy’.
Most people can’t see subtle energy, but during your yoga practice you work with a wide variety of different types of subtle energy such as:
- Prana (vital life force energy)
- The 5 Prana Vayus (the 5 types of ‘major’ prana vayu) = prana, apana, udana, vyana and samana
- The 5 Upa-Prana Vayus (the 5 types of ‘minor’ prana vayu) = naga, kurma, devadatta, krikala and dhananjaya.
- Pancha bhuta (the 5 elements of cosmic creation) = earth, water, fire, air and ether (or space)
- The 3 Gunas (the 3 qualities of nature) = sattva, rajas and tamas
- The Chakras (the 7 main energetic centres of the subtle body) = muladhara, svadhistana, manipura, anahata, vishuddha, ajna, and sahasrara
Your body and the world around you are made up of subtle energy that often can’t be seen, but can often be ‘sensed’.
Many people are commonly aware of the 5 elements (pancha bhuta); earth, water, fire, air and ether (or space).
Secondly, in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra (Chapter 1, Verse 2), he defines the aim of yoga as “chitta vritti nirodha”. This basically translates to stilling, controlling, or ceasing the fluctuations of the mind—such as trains of thought.
Your environment has the ability to support your meditation and inner stillness, or it can pull you out of it by adding extra distractions and triggering thoughts.
Things like moving candle flames, strong scents, and music can all seem to be calming and soothing, but they can also occupy a subconscious part of your mind—keeping it busy, triggering thoughts, and preventing you from going deeper into your practice.
Thirdly, ancient yoga scriptures have quite a bit to say about how traditional yoga should be practiced, and where it should be practiced.
The Bhagavad Gita, in Chapter 6 Verse 11, mentions that “To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kuśa-grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth.
The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogi should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point”.
Whilst the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, in Chapter 1 Verses 12 to 14, also mentions a variety of guidelines for the environment in which to practice yoga;
“The yogi should practice hatha yoga in a small room, situated in a solitary place, being 4 cubits square, and free from stones, fire, water, disturbances of all kinds, and in a country where justice is properly administered, where good people live, and food can be obtained easily and plentifully”.
“The room should have a small door, be free from holes, hollows, neither too high nor too low, well plastered with cow dung and free from dirt, filth and insects. On its outside, there should be bowers, a raised platform (chabootra), a well and a compound. These characteristics of a room for hatha yogis have been described by adepts in the practice of hatha”.
Obviously, these texts do have to be understood in terms of the culture, environment, and time in which they were written. Some of these guidelines are simply not relevant for many practitioners in modern urban settlements (such as practising in a room caked in cow dung…).
However, it is interesting to consider what was meant by these guidelines, what is relevant for our yoga practice today, and which guidelines from the ancient sages we are able to commit to in the modern world context to enhance our moving meditation.
For example, it is mentioned to have an environment that is free from distractions, clean, safe, and sacred—which is applicable today and easy to adhere to.
However, a question arises with the instruction for the environment to be free from ‘stones, fire, water, and disturbances of all kinds’ because this could either point to the safety aspect of not wanting to enter a meditative or trance-like state in a small room near a fire (and smoke), water, or rocks—which could be dangerous.
Or it could also point to the environment’s subtle energy, the subtle energy of your body, and the subtle energy you cultivate during your practice—and the way that additional earth, fire and water elements could interrupt or alter them.
I encourage you to explore practising in different environments, with and without candles and incense (or other scents) and music to see what difference it makes to your meditation and inner stillness during your yoga classes.
3. Remind Others Not To Disturb You And Switch Off Your Phone
This can seem unnecessary, but you might be surprised at how much of a difference it can make.
Sometimes people don’t really understand the nature of yoga or meditation—especially if they don’t practice themselves. To them, it might simply be a physical exercise that people do at the gym, as opposed to a sacred moving meditation in which you need your own space and silence to explore the depths of your consciousness.
If you share your living space with others, just politely let them know that when you’re practising yoga you don’t wish to be disturbed. And you can also just let them know whenever you’re about to start a class.
This prevents you from worrying that someone is going to walk into your yoga space every time you hear them near by, because you haven’t clearly communicated that your yoga class is your quiet time.
Also, put your phone onto airplane mode and switch off any alarms you might have set.
4. A Comfortable Temperature—Not Too Hot Or Cold
Your temperature needs can change depending on the type of yoga you’re practising. If you’re practising vinyasa or ashtanga you’ll get hotter much quicker than if you’re practising yin yoga or restorative yoga.
You’ll want to make sure that the temperature of the room suits your needs so that you’re not too hot or too cold which can also hinder your ability to go into deep meditation with ease.
5. Clean, Sacred, And Clutter-Free
As described by the Bhagavad Gita and Hatha Yoga Pradipika the space in which you practice yoga should be held sacred and kept clean.
Your yoga practice is special, and as such you should treat the space in which you practice yoga, and your yoga mat in particular as holy tools for spiritual enlightenment.
This is not only good physical hygiene, but also good subtle energy hygiene.
Regularly clean your yoga mat well, because you’ll have most points of the body in contact with your yoga mat at some point (including your face and your feet).
And also regularly clean your yoga space—physically but also energetically with incense or sage smoke (smudging).
Saucha is one of the niyamas (observances) from the 8 limbs of yoga (ashtanga), and is often translated as purity and cleanliness. However, it can be understood as relating to different forms of purity and cleanliness such as mind, energetic body, physical body, and home.
Aside from cleanliness, your yoga space should also be free from clutter, because your belongings (and clutter) can easily trigger trains of thought. The phrase ‘tidy house, tidy mind’ is incredibly relevant for the space in which you practice yoga.
Refrain from keeping unnecessary things near your yoga mat (apart from yoga props that you’ll use during your moving meditation).
Put your smartphone on airplane mode and keep it somewhere out of sight—perhaps even in another room. And clear enough space so that you can move freely without having to think about your surroundings.
Physical space creates mental space.
6. Keep Yoga Props In Reaching Distance
You want to ensure that you don’t need to use your conscious brain or ‘think’ any more than you have to in your yoga class, so that you can remain in a moving meditation.
It really helps to keep your yoga props closeby to your mat so that they are accessible when you need them.
In Chapter 2 Verse 46 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, he describes that the ideal yoga pose should be “sthira sukham asanam” which is translated as steady, stable, and comfortable.
So you want to ensure that you are using yoga props accordingly within your yoga class where required to improve your moving meditation—and find comfort and stability in the asanas wherever possible.
If you don’t have a yoga block, a yoga strap or meditation cushion, you can learn more about the most important yoga props to use in your yoga class (and their substitutes) in my article here.
7. Quiet Undisturbed Space
This is a privilege because not everyone has the luxury of space in their accommodation, but if possible—ensure that your home yoga studio is an undisturbed and quiet part of your home (that doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic that would unnecessarily disturb your home yoga practice).
8. Have Plants In Your Yoga Room
It can be really nice to have plants in your home yoga studio, especially for those living in urban areas or who don’t have the chance to get out into nature daily.
A clinical journal by Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences notes that indoor plants have a variety of benefits from improving psychological health to enhancing air quality.¹
Plants are healing lifeforms that can help to clean pollution from your airspace—which is important for pranayama (breathwork and energy work).
You don’t want your room to feel over-crowded or ‘cluttered’ with plants which could hinder your moving meditation, but a few well-placed plants can help to connect you with your Divinity— and can contribute to keeping your airspace clean for your breathwork.
9. Set Up A Sacred Altar
Yoga is a spiritual philosophy and sacred practice, and it is commonplace to find altars in traditional yoga shalas.
If it resonates, the invitation is to set up your own sacred altar for your home yoga studio.
What do you honour and revere? An altar is a lovely way to connect with the practice of prayer during your yoga practice.
You can put a variety of important symbols on your altar such as healing crystals, statues of deities, or photos of your ancestors. Make it special, and make it personal.
10. Keep Your Yoga Room Well Ventilated
Even though you might need to control ventilation during your yoga session to maintain a certain room temperature depending on where you live, in between classes make sure that your yoga space is well-ventilated and regularly open the windows to refresh the space.
Fresh air and air circulation in between (or during) your classes help keep your yoga space feeling invigorated and clean, both on a physical and subtle energetic level.
11 Consider Your Pets
If you have pets, you might need to consider if they can be safely kept outside of your yoga space whilst you do your yoga session if they have the tendency to interrupt you.
As cute as they are, you’ll find that many animals are drawn to your yoga mat as much as you are, which can become an issue when you’re battling for space.
Conclusion
Your home yoga space should be consciously curated to support your moving meditation as best as possible. It is a sanctuary in which you find inner stillness and peace from the busyness and chaos of day-to-day life.
Ready to learn about the goal of doing yoga? Read my article here to learn about the most achievable yoga goals for beginners.
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