While I love practicing yoga outside, there are some days when the weather is just not conducive to an outdoor session. On these days, and on early mornings when it’s still dark outside for me to practice comfortably, I go to my favorite space in my house, my sacred space. I live in a historical home that was built in the early 1930’s. When it was built, there were two outdoor porches, one on the upper level just off the master bedroom, and the other on the first floor just outside of the living room. At some point over the years, these spaces were converted from outdoor porches to indoor sunrooms. They are not climate controlled so in a lot of ways, when I practice here, I feel almost like I’m outside, minus wind, rain, or snow! : ) Although they have fans, the temperate in the summer, especially in the upstairs room, can get very warm. But on cooler days, this little room can get quite cold. Three of the walls are windows bringing lots of natural light into the space. I’ve seen some beautiful sunrises in the early mornings here, as well as some amazing sunsets.
When we moved into this house, I knew this room was going to become my sacred space, so I designed the area to be just that! I found a shelf that needed a new home and made it my alter. Here I placed my Tibetan singing bowls, my tiny yoga joes who practice with me everyday ; ), some of my library of yoga books, my yoga essential oils, chakra meditation stones, and a variety of props used for my asana practice. I love the energy this space holds and I always look forward to practicing here. I have to say too, that a lot of creative ideas have been born here! My kids are drawn to this space too, and I’ll find them here sometimes in the evenings winding down from their day with a guided meditation for sleep. Once complete, they kindly roll their mats back up and place them back in along the window, right in their spot for another day. I love the sense of respect they have developed in honoring this sacred space.
While we still move every few years as my husband continues his military career, in each new location and new home we move into, we carve out a dedicated, sacred space to practice yoga. Sometimes this space is an entire room, but in other smaller houses, it’s within a shared space with another room. Regardless of where it is in the home, it’s a place of undisturbed peace and calm away from any distractions of everyday life.
Have you carved out a dedicated space for your practice in your home? Where ever home is for you right now, find a space with lots of natural light where you can connect to the radiating energy that fills the space. Add a sacred alter and somewhere you can keep your mat and any yoga props for practice. Enjoy your space and your practice. According to The Bagavad Gita, “Yoga is a journey of the self, through the self, and to the self.” Come to this space as you travel along your journey of discovering your true “self.”
Be well!
~Namaste~