by Jane Sandwood
Corporate yoga is fast become a popular incentive for teams owing to its many benefits – including stress reduction, better work performance, and improved teamwork. If you had never tried yoga out before your first session at your workplace, you may be totally captivated – so much so that you might want to recreate the magic at home. Performing increasingly challenging asanas and learning how to breathe requires practice so why not build your own yoga home space and fill it with all you need to truly inspire and motivate you?
Picking the Right Spot
Natural settings make the perfect backdrop for a yoga class, because they help you achieve the state of mindfulness that is so important when it comes to mind-body control. If possible, your yoga space should enable you to salute the sunrise in the morning, and contain floods of natural light, plants, and, if possible, wooden or natural materials. If you have a large garden and budgeting isn’t a problem, why not build a wooden decked, thatched roof yoga space that will make you feel like you have been whizzed to an exotic Eastern location?
Pampering the Senses
Create the right ambience in your yoga area by opening your senses to a state of calm, concentration, and awareness. The sense of smell is key; burn incense or use an essential oil diffuser filled with relaxing therapeutic grade essential oils such as lavender or orange. Another excellent choice for fragrance are candles, whose flickering flame can be used for meditation and self-reflection. Natural candles made of materials like soy do not contain paraffin – a material which pollutes your indoor air quality and is harmful to your health. Natural candles come in various fragrances and are generally scented with natural essential oils.
Accessories are Everything
You need very little to actually practice yoga. A mat, a piece of storage furniture and a towel will just about do the trick but accessories can add the magic you need to create a yogic atmosphere. Many yoga practitioners like to have a little ‘altar’ in their home practice space. Decorate it with Eastern inspired sculptures, candles, and other paraphernalia. Additional accessories that will work nicely in this space include Indian printed poufs, cushions in bright hues like purple, orange, and green, and hanging lanterns.
You don’t need much to design a yoga space that works, but a little imagination can make it a lot more appealing. Accessories, fragrance, and light can help you create a spiritual ambience that will enable you to undertaken your asanas with a stronger sense of mindfulness. If you can, bring in a bit of nature into your space; plants and flowers can add life and color and help you relax and de-stress.