Shantele Marcum provides tips for creating a yoga-ready space in the home

Certified yoga instructor Shantele Marcum offers a set-up guide for an in-home yoga experience.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, January 19, 2022 — With the ongoing pandemic, there is a larger percentage of people relying on their home as an office space during the day and a fitness and recreation center at night. Current and would-be yogis are included in this trend. Certified yoga instructor Shantele Marcum advises there is no wrong way to start a yoga practice at home. However, there are several ways to improve the experience with equipment and decor choices.

Shantele Marcum discusses getting started with a home practice

Yoga is both a physical and spiritual exercise. As with any physical effort, injury is always a possibility. Shantele Marcum advises anyone just getting started should rely on the guidance of a professional to establish proper technique. When an in-person introduction is not possible, start with at-home materials developed by a professional with a strong focus on beginner’s poses and form and consult with a doctor for any exercise limitation concerns.

Yoga practice environment

To truly embrace the body and mind connection of yoga, creating a peaceful environment is essential. As a combination relator and yoga instructor, Shantele Marcum fully understands the impact spaces have on concentration, enjoyment of an activity and long-term mental and physical health. A few basic tweaks help create a yoga-ready space in most rooms or homes.

Dedicate space

One secret to success for healthy living is to make it as easy as possible to adopt healthy behaviors. To establish a regular yoga practice in the home, make a space for it. This doesn’t mean a dedicated room, but it does mean a readily accessible area large enough for practice with minimal setup required. For example, needing to throw out a yoga mat to get started is OK. Needing to rearrange the entire room is usually not. Each action required before yoga is an impediment.

Having a designated space for yoga and meditation helps associate the space with the calm and grounding feeling yoga provides. Gradually, as the practitioner enters the space, those feelings will begin immediately.

Project calm

It isn’t always possible to totally declutter an area, but do remove all unnecessary items from the yoga space. If it is a shared space, consider investing in a few special lights to change the mood and design the yoga area so most poses are completed facing a calm wall area

Use a color scheme of earthy tones that promote a zen feeling. Natural light and organic fabrics also promote a feeling of connection. Hang your favorite art here or place decorative elements in soothing colors and gentle shapes. Be moderate and consider limiting major elements to one focal point.

A closer look at yoga equipment

Yoga studios feature an assortment of equipment to help practitioners master form as flexibility and range of motion increase, according to Shantele Marcum. For at-home practice, a few basic props go a long way toward achieving the same results.

Yoga blocks and straps

Yoga blocks are available in a variety of materials, including high-density foam, cork and more. They provide a firm surface with a soft give and help reduce the range of motion required for certain poses. Child’s pose, downward dog and triangle pose are all easier with this aid. Straps also assist with range of motion and allow advanced yogis to deepen stretches.

Basic accessories

Also recommended and readily available are the standard yoga mat and/or a yoga blanket.