Have you been planning for awhile to set aside some space for your family to practice yoga in your home? We have… And we finally did it! Whether you are living in a tiny townhouse with only a corner to dedicate, or you have a full room to dedicate, here are FIVE easy steps to get you started.
1. Dedicated Space – Find a quiet corner, space or room near windows and natural light. This will minimize your need for artificial light, and bring you closer to nature.
Take ALL of the furniture that you possibly can out of the room. Or move it to the center. And then begin to pare down to the bare essentials eliminating visual clutter (and it is almost guaranteed that with children in the home it will quickly fill back up). Consider eliminating furniture, donating whatever it is that you can live without. The popular blog Zen Habits has lots of tips on how families can go more minimalist in their homes.
2. The Walls are Talking – Take a look around, do you have lots of items on the walls? If so, are they meaningful? Hang photos, relics, and items that make you and your family feel at peace but limit how much you put up to avoid them becoming distractions. Do you feel at peace with the color of the walls. This is a great time to paint if you’ve been meaning to for awhile.
3. Mats Down – Once you’ve eliminated what you can, push the furniture back against the walls so that you have space to easily (this may mean pushing aside a chair or table at times) lay out your families’ mats on a daily basis.
4. Kids Love Props – Dedicate a corner or tucked away space to props. It doesn’t have to be fancy we use milk crates! Have blocks, straps, pillows, books and flashcards handy so that you and your children can grab them whenever they feel the urge. As a mom and YoKid kids yoga instructor, I’ve grown quite the collection of kid-loved props as you can see from our photos. Our Kimochi feeling face doll, singing bowl, and giant LeapFrog Leap Around mat make for very fun yoga games.
5. Turn The Lights (And Temp) Down Low – Enhance the Mood. Once you’re space is all set-up and you’re practicing comfortably as a family. You can enhance the mood with music, incense, candles. If you haven’t already discovered, minor adjustments like lowering the lights, opening windows, adjusting the temperature, can dramatically modify your children’s energy levels… Just try it!
Do you have more questions on how to set up a yoga room in your home? Have you set one up and would like to share pictures with us? We love hearing from you… please post photos of your yoga space to Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #YoKidAtHome
Peace and light,
The YoKid Team
