Thought of the Day: Look Well

An Ancient Sanskrit Poem: 

Look well to this day,

for it is life.

In its brief course lie all the realities

and truths of existence.

The joy of growths,

the splendour of action,

the glory of power.

For yesterday is but a memory,

and tomorrow is only a vision,

but today, if well-lived,

makes every yesterday a memory of happiness,

and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day.

Thought of the Day: Conscious Breathing

Thought of the Day: Have No Time

Thought of the Day: Be Proud.

Thought of the Day: Be Curious

Creating a Home Practice Space

{My space}

I move twice a year, and in my last home I just rolled out a mat every time I wanted to practice. It doesn't take a lot of effort to do that, but it was just one more thing to do on a seemingly endless list to daily "to do's". This summer, I decided to do things differently. I've created a space in my home just for my yoga practice. I usually do yoga on the beach, but on rainy days having a designated space makes me more likely to practice because my mat is all set up and ready to go. Here are a few pictures of my yoga area and my tips for creating your own practice space.

Essentials for a home yoga practice space

{Essentials: mats with straps, a book of readings, blocks and blankets}

Decor for a home yoga practice space

{Simple decor: candle & Ganesh statue}

1. Choose a space. Unless you have multiple extra rooms in your home, you'll probably start by picking a small area of a room you already use. This could be the corner of a home office or bedroom, or a breezeway- anywhere that has good lighting and makes you feel at peace. Move furniture away from your space so you have ample room for your practice. Once you've decided on a space, you're ready to lay the foundation.

2. Lay out your essentials. Lay the mat down in a such a way that you don't have to move it when you want to practice. (In my picture I have extra mats in case I have a private lesson or I want to double up on the mats for more cushion if needed.) Set your bolster (or I use a thick blanket), a lightweight blanket, a few blocks and a strap nearby in a way that is easily accessible. Any other essentials you like to have for your practice such as an eye pillow or book of readings should be added also. If you use music, you can put a small ipod dock or cd player nearby too.

3. Decorate. Decorate your space with whatever you like that will lift your spirits- plants, incense (this is my favorite brand on incense), candles, status, beautiful pictures and prayer beads are all good options. 

4. Practice, and thrive.