Self-Care Begins at Home
6 Tips for Creating Your Personal Yoga-Meditation Oasis
At White Diamond, success lies in finding our clients a place to call home. That means a space where you can feel at ease and flourish. In the spirit of doing just that, we found some expert tips to help you take on one of life’s biggest, ongoing challenges: stress.
According to the experts, chronic stress is an ongoing public health crisis. It weakens the immune system while increasing the incidence of heart disease, stroke, headaches, and depression. While we can’t control external factors that contribute to chronic stress, there is much we can do to prevent it from stealing our joy and impairing our health.
Practicing yoga, mindfulness, or meditation improves our psychological and physical well-being. What better place to begin that practice than in your personal place of respite — your home.
Getting relaxed can be stressful
For both experienced practitioners and mindful newbies, fitting quiet time into a busy schedule can turn self-care into a chore. Wouldn’t it be nice to close your eyes and bring “om”-away-from-home a bit nearer? A great tool to combat stress is to have an oasis of serenity in your home.
Creating a personal self-care space begins with the basics. You’ll want to be relaxed and free from distraction. That means every design element — from the color and comfort of your equipment to the view from your chill zone — should maximize the space dedicated to your own well-being.
To help choose what works for your own sustainable routine, we’ve selected six options that every luxury homeowner should consider:
1. Install a mirrored wall
This staple of gyms and dance studios may seem like a vanity option, but it’s much more. Wall mirrors not only improve the aesthetics of most rooms, they also provide the kind of immediate feedback that can increase motivation and even improve posture.
2. Keep it uncluttered
To keep your thoughts calm and focused, experts recommend light wood floors with complimentary, light-colored walls, and tasteful touches. The goal is to keep the focus on self-care, as studies show clutter causes our thoughts to compete with all the objects in the space.
3. Control your climate
From hot yoga to chilled comfort, temperature plays a part in your health routine. That’s why we recommend a separate thermostat from the rest of your home. You’ll be able to warm up or cool down at your own pace, without disrupting the rest of the household.
Why stop at the air temperature? Many luxury homeowners opt for radiant heat under the floor. Consider this for your own space, and come winter, your tootsies will thank you.
4. Connect to inspiration
Technology is often blamed for increasing stress, but it can also inspire. For example, as yoga centers shut down during the pandemic, one Morgantown business offered online instruction to help her clients maintain their routine.
Connected options are a distinguishing feature for popular fitness machines of recent years. From monitoring vital signs to tracking progress, self-care and connectivity have merged. Many homeowners now include it in their design.
5. Invite nature over
From ample sunlight to a soothing palette, evoking nature is conducive to calmness. Add plants, wood, or stones to connect with nature.
For many homeowners, installing a small fountain promotes relaxation by providing calming sounds. Also, make sure your room is well ventilated so you can burn your favorite incense. Nothing says calm like a hint of lavender or rosewood.
6. Make it yours
Self-care is also self-discovery. Your dedicated space should reflect who you are — and not just on the surface. Whether it’s a meditation garden for peaceful contemplation, a glass-enclosed spirit house made from reclaimed materials, or a multifunctional space conducive to both exercise and inner explorations, your design should not be a one-size-fits-all solution. Make it your own!
We recommended working with an experienced designer who listens first and builds accordingly, so that your own luxury space aligns perfectly with your personal style and stress-reduction goals.
More ideas to inspire your wellness journey
