Establishing and maintaining a home yoga practice takes work. We want our private practice to inspire us just as much as going to a yoga studio and taking a class with a gifted teacher does – which is why we need to give our home practice the elements of the sacred that it deserves through the process of ritual. Here are 3 simple ways to create a sacred space around your home yoga practice:
1. Beautify the physical space.
Why not make a ritual out of making your home yoga space as aesthetically pleasing as you possibly can? This adds so much positive energy to your surroundings that you’ll look forward to your practice every time you come to the sticky mat. Beautify your space with fresh flowers picked on a morning walk and placed in a delicate vase in front of your mat. Light your favorite candle, incense or aromatherapy diffuser before you practice. Clean your mat pre-practice with a homemade aromatherapy spray made from distilled water and lemon essential oil. You may also want to have an altar in your yoga space – perhaps one that’s dedicated to your favorite yoga goddess or guru. Get creative with your space and make it pleasing to your own personal sense of what’s beautiful and inspiring.
2. Establish your intention.
Take the time to begin with a meditation, a chant, a visualization, or some other way of setting the tone for your practice. Set an intention for your yoga or dedicate the practice to a person or group of people who might be in need of healing. Taking the time to establish resonance before your home practice will bring a definite sense of sacred to your space.
3. Close with a ritual.
Upon finishing your yoga practice, be sure to end with a ritual that’s just as meaningful as the one with which you began. You might want to close with a chant, a song, or a prayer. Offer up your practice up for the benefit of all beings on the planet, and always thank yourself for taking the time to practice, and for giving yourself the amazing gift that is yoga. Written by: Aimmee Hughes