After a challenging 12 months, more and more people have been dealing with both physical and mental health issues. As a result, many Americans have been turning to yoga and meditation to help them stretch out tight, weary muscles and reduce stress and negative emotions.
While there will always be a need for professional yoga studios and classes run by trained practitioners, it's also helpful to have a dedicated space at home where we can do our own practice at any time of day or night.
Today, when buying a property, plenty of consumers are pleased to see a home that contains an area expressly set aside for some "me time." If you plan to put your property on the market in 2021, consider setting up a space as a zen zone. Using it yourself over the coming months can help you to deal more effectively with the stress of getting a home ready for sale, too. Here are some tips for turning a spare room into a helpful yoga zone.
Select the Most Appropriate Space
You might be chomping at the bit to start setting up your yoga area but slow down and pick the most appropriate space for your practice first. If you're lucky, you might have an entire room or even a separate studio or garage spot to set aside for your yoga. If not, be on the lookout for a section of a room to use. For example, you might be able to set up your gear in part of an attic, basement, porch, home office, bedroom, outdoor shed, or even an oversized walk-in closet.
Try to stay away from zones in the house that tend to be quite noisy, though, such as the lounge room or kitchen. If you have to share your space, make an effort to section it off with a door or some kind of divider, such as a bookshelf, sliding partition, or curtains. Ensure the spot you select for your yoga time has plenty of room to stretch out comfortably and move without hitting parts of your body. As a general idea, a space with around 21 square feet should be adequate.
Keep the Room Junk Free
Next, since yoga is about clearing the mind and calming the body, you want your dedicated stretching space to be as clear of "stuff" as possible. Declutter so you minimize the items in the room to only those that serve a specific need for your yoga practice, such as a mat, props, and things that help you relax. For instance, you might like to leave in a candle or oil diffuser, some plants to improve air quality, and some inspirational posters or pretty artwork.
Make the Area Comfortable to Spend Time In
There's no point setting up a yoga zone, only to discover in due time that you don't want to stretch and chill out there because it's not very comfortable. An appropriate space is somewhere that suits you temperature-wise and that you can adjust over the year as the weather changes.
You may need to buy a quality low-profile ceiling fan for the space to move hot air around or add a reverse-cycle HVAC unit or a separate heater to keep you comfortable. It helps if the room you choose has windows you can open, too, provided you don't have to deal with too much road or other noise coming from outside. Windows that let in lovely natural light will help make your yoga time more pleasurable, too, when you stretch during the day.
Add Handy Props to the Room
To help you get that yoga studio feel at home, it pays to invest in useful props. For instance, outfit your yoga space with tools such as a thick, quality yoga mat, a bolster, a strap and a block, a blanket for your quiet meditation time, and anything else that helps you to stretch and focus.
You might like to have some yoga books on hand to give you ideas of exercises to incorporate into each session. Plus, there are all sorts of handy yoga and meditation apps and videos to take advantage of. It's nice to have some calming music to play while you practice yoga, too, so consider adding a Bluetooth speaker to your setup.
Yoga is something that you don't have to fork out a lot of money to enjoy, and you don't need to fight traffic or waste time trying to find a park near busy yoga studios if you don't want to. Follow the tips above to set up your own special stretching space, and you're sure to feel much more grounded, happy, and healthy in no time.
