Creating a Low-Budget Home Yoga Studio

By Steve Graham, Hometalk

Maybe you are trying to use a yoga video or practice poses from your yoga class, but you end up working harder to dodge clutter and block out street noise. If that’s the case, it’s time to create a simple home yoga studio or practice space. To help you create your exercise sanctuary in virtually any home on any budget, we consulted three Denver yoga instructors.

Go minimalist with a home yoga space.

Meg DePriest, a mother and yoga instructor in Denver, said, “You don’t have to spend a ton of money or have a huge space. Just find a space in your house that makes you happy, chase the kids out every once in a while, and enjoy your practice.”

How much space do you need for home yoga practice area?

A yoga practice space can be about the size of a walk-in closet with standard ceilings, according to DePriest, as long as it is quiet and has a door that closes. “You can get by on a space just a touch longer than your yoga mat and a little wider than your arm span,” she said. “… make sure you don’t touch the ceiling when you inhale and reach your hands up.”

However, Jennifer Lux, a Vinyasa yoga instructor with Warrior Academy Yoga, suggests a little more space for a home yoga studio. She said, “The space can vary in size but I’d say at least nine-foot by nine-foot to give you enough room to move freely and not feel psychologically or physically confined.”

Just a mat…

Both Lux and DePriest said a yoga mat is the only vital piece of equipment in a home yoga studio, but DePriest keeps a few other items in her yoga space: a meditation cushion, books, incense, family photos and a small, low table “that serves as a sort of altar.” Of course, if you are relying on video instruction, you’ll also need a TV or computer, as well as a device for music or nature sounds.

The right flooring makes a difference.

DePriest said hardwood floors are ideal. “They aren’t cold in the winter, they give a little and don’t hurt your knees,” she said.

Lux said carpet can be too soft to be stable, but a large wood board or rigid gym mat on the carpet would be a better surface. On the other hand, DePriest said carpet can pose a good yoga challenge. “I wouldn’t worry if you have carpet,” she said. “It’s soft and nice, and perhaps you would improve your balance poses over time on that uneven, squishy surface. Be sure to protect it with towels if you sweat a lot, or it will stink.”

In fact, DePriest is more concerned about cold, hard concrete flooring. “For concrete, I’d try two or three yoga mats, or perhaps rolling out a very low pile or flat woven rug under your yoga mat,” she said. “And have a space heater for winter to warm it up a bit before you practice.”