A yoga corner at home: space, light and scent

A yoga corner at home is a fixed place where the mat can lie open or wait rolled within reach. It needs about two by three metres of clear floor, access to fresh air and one ritual to begin — light, sound or scent — that separates practice from the rest of the day. The less you have to move around, the more often you practise.

How much space you need

The mat itself is about 183 by 61 centimetres, but in standing and side poses arms and legs reach beyond it. Leave half a metre of clear space on each side and check that raised arms will not touch a lamp or a sloping ceiling. In a small flat, a stretch of the living room or bedroom by a window works better than a narrow hallway.

Floor and light

An even, hard floor is best: boards, laminate, tiles. On a thick rug the mat gives and balances wobble — lay the mat on a thin seagrass rug or straight on the floor beside it. Keep the light soft: daylight in the morning, a warm lamp in the evening instead of the ceiling light.

Storage

• A mat rolled and stood upright in a basket or bag takes less room than an umbrella.
• A block, strap and balls fit in one basket beside the mat.
• A bolster and meditation cushion can double as a seat by a low table during the day.
• Keep the yoga towel somewhere airy, not rolled up in the bag after practice.

Scent as the signal to begin

The same scent before every practice works like a bell: it tells the body it is time for the mat. You can light incense before practice and leave it by the window, then put it out and air the room for the practice itself — smoke in a closed room while breathing deeply is not a good idea. A gentler route is a reed diffuser or a few sprays of room mist. Always set incense in a non-flammable holder, away from the mat, curtains and towels.

Mats and props are in the Yoga section, diffusers and mists under scents, incense and holders under incense. How to begin sitting in silence is covered in Meditation for beginners.