So, I wrote recently that I don’t have a meditation area (Paying Attention (It’s a Struggle). That isn’t entirely true. I do have areas where I do yoga and meditation, but they aren’t exclusively for yoga and meditation. Part of the reason for this is my philosophy on life that less is more, and that includes homes. I chose a house with a smaller mortgage and less upkeep over getting the maximum loan available. While I would love an extra bedroom to use just for recreation purposes, we have just what we need and we’re happy. And that mortgage payment stays low.
Having a smaller space with a family (we have a 5 year old, 4 dogs, a cat and a bird…don’t let us find a stray or we’ll have a new family member) means that we have to be smart about the space we have. Spaces have to pull at least double duty. Furniture has to be moveable. While my house doesn’t look like a catalog at all times, it’s functional and we’re happy. It’s a home. I’m going to share my home and hope it can give you some ideas.
This is our fireplace. It’s filled with Christmas lights year round so that I can practice yoga at night without being completely in the dark. Otherwise, I would have to leave on a light a my child couldn’t get to sleep. One of the dogs normally sleep on the big pillow in front (while the other three try to sneak on my mat). It’s also a quiet spot to meditate when I bring out a people pillow. While I would love to have a quite corner dedicated solely to meditation, this is a great spot for me to unwind after my loved ones have gone to bed.
Because my furniture moves around a bit, we have plenty of room to stretch and do yoga. We can either stretch out in front of the TV or in front of the fireplace. When we’re done we just roll up the mats and put them in the closet again. The couch and table slide back into place. Even if you only have enough room for your mat, you can still manage to do yoga in your home though. I used to do it in my office that was the size of my closet. And clearly, if my husband’s yoga mat is any indication, you don’t need fancy equipment at all.
Finally, I have this area. I tried to make it look neater, but it’s impossible. It’s a papasan with very comfy pillows. They’re so comfy because they’re well worn. I call this my thinking area. It needs a lamp behind the chair. I sit here to draw, read or…meditate, when my husband is sleeping. He gets up at 4 am and sometimes I’m not ready to go to bed so I made a little area where I could do something quite to wind down for the day. It isn’t fancy. It isn’t big. But it’s one of my favorite spots to curl up and unwind after a long day.
Wandering Wild Solo 