I realize I am very, very fortunate to have a separate space in my home for yoga and meditation. I do. I know what it is to try to carve out this kind of space in a carpeted apartment bedroom, in the space between the bed and the wall. In the living room, vulnerable to all kinds of interruptions and feline distraction. I took a class once with a woman who laid her yoga mat out in her kitchen, because it had the best floor. Imagine practicing your asana between the kitchen cabinets and the dishwasher!
Mr. Iyengar says you need only a space that is clean, free of clutter and dust. Obviously, you want some kind of barrier between yourself and such distractions as telephones, televisions, pets and other people if at all possible. From there, personal enhancements to your space, such as a small table or shelf for a candle or incense burner, and a place to keep a reference book or two, a journal perhaps are about all you need to support your daily practice.
As an instructor, I wanted this small space in our house to support not only my personal practice but private, individual lessons when the opportunity arose. For now, this space serves as the yoga room, and a spare sleepover space for guests if necessary, with a futon and lots of reading materials.
If you have photos of your personal yoga or meditation space, please share! Here are some photos of the finished room:
