If you’re not well-acquainted with the not-so-organized chaos of the last few minutes before a yoga class starts when people are maniacally trying to squeeze their yoga mats in, then you’re in luck.
It’s pure CHAOS.
So, I thought I would write a post on yoga mat spacing so that when you arrive early to class, you know where to place your yoga mat.
Yoga mats should be placed 2.5 to 3 feet (0.75 to 1 meters) apart inside a space around 4.5 x 4.5 feet (1.4 x 1.4 meters), or 21 square feet (6.5 square meters). For the best yoga mat spacing, try to stagger yours forward or behind the others by 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters).
If that looks confusing, don’t worry! I promise I’ll simplify it.
I’ll also go over:
- How you set up a yoga mat
- The size of a yoga mat
- Yoga mat spacing in the studio
- How big a yoga room should be in a studio and at home
- How you can make yoga space at home
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
How Do You Set Up a Yoga Mat?
When setting up your yoga mat, you should be aware of a few things:
- Its size (some are bigger and some are smaller)
- Where the other yoga mats are positioned
- Don’t use your shoes on the yoga mat
- Socks may be optional in cold weather, but your feet will do better bare on the mat
But, there’s nothing technical to setting up a yoga mat.
Just unfurl it into your space to get your Zen.
The Size of a Yoga Mat
The standard yoga mat size is 24 x 68 inches (61.0 x 172.7 centimeters) and is 0.125 inches (3 millimeters) thick.
While most yoga mats don’t have different widths, yoga mat length can vary, especially for taller people who need the extra space.
Although, if you’re overweight doing yoga, you may need to look into a wider mat to be fully supported.
Take a look at the articles linked above for more information on the subject.
Yoga Mat Spacing in the Studio
When you actually make it to the yoga studio, you should NOT feel overwhelmed.
While yoga studios and rooms may look a little tight, they’re more spacious than you think.
Here’s the average size of a yoga studio per number of students.
Ideal Yoga Studio Size
| Number of Yoga Students | Area | Ceiling Height |
|---|---|---|
| 10 to 20 members | 400 to 500 square feet (122 to 152 square meters) | 94.5 in (2.4 m) |
| 30+ members | 625 to 900 square feet (191 to 274 square meters) | 94.5 in (2.4 m) |
You can find NYC apartments for that size.
But, you need to know more than just the size of a yoga room, so I’ll go over:
- How much space should be between yoga mats
- How many square feet a person should have
Let’s dive a little deeper!
How Much Space Should Be Between Yoga Mats?
Great question!
When doing yoga, you should NOT be touching the person right next to you. If that happens, you’re too close.
There should be 2.5 to 3 feet (0.75 to 1 meter) between each yoga mat to avoid touching. It’s also recommended to stagger your yoga mat a little forward or behind the ones next to you so your limbs are on different planes.
This is why it’s important to arrive to a yoga class early.
You don’t want to get stuck shoving your mat in the back and being unable to see the instructor.
Not cool.
How Much Space Per Yoga Student?
Every person should be in their own 4.5 x 4.5 foot (1.4 x 1.4 meter) bubble when doing yoga to prevent touching.
Here’s a helpful table that breaks down the spacing measurements further.
Space and Square Footage Per Yoga Student
| Total Yoga Space | Yoga Space Size | Spacing Between Yoga Mats |
|---|---|---|
| 21.5 square feet (6.5 square meters) | 4.5 x 4.5 foot space (1.4 x 1.4 meter space) | 2.5 to 3 feet (0.75 to 1 meter) |
While this is ideal, it may not always be achieved.
But, if you’re designing a yoga space, try to include this much room per person. A happy yoga class will return for another lesson.
How Many Square Feet Should a Yoga Student Have?
As shown in the table above, each person should have 21.5 square feet (6.4 square meters) of space to themselves.
Please don’t be the person to take out a tape measure and ask people to move. That’s rude.
When placing your yoga mat, just have this figure in mind.
Remember, it’s square feet, so the actual size is smaller. It’s 4.5 x 4.5 feet (1.4 x 1.4 meters), in case you missed it above. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you have the entire room to yourself.
How Big Should a Yoga Room Be?
At minimum, a yoga room should be 400 square feet (122 square meters) for about 10 to 20 students, but if there are 30+ students, then the room can be as large as 900 square feet (274 square meters).
I included a table at the beginning of this section that breaks this down further.
While the size of a yoga room increases with an increase in the number of students, it does so proportionally. Meaning, it gets larger because each student gets the same space added on.
Students don’t get more space in a larger room (unless there are fewer of them).
Yoga Mat Spacing at Home
What do you do if you don’t go to a yoga class?
I’m glad you asked…
Configuring yoga mat spacing at home is just as important as doing it in the studio.
According to research published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine, the more that people practiced yoga, whether in amount of years, classes, or home practice, the higher the odds of them believing that yoga improved their health.
It goes back to the adage that you get what you put into something.
If you’re going to be doing yoga in your home, you might want to know:
- The size of a home yoga room
- How you can make yoga space at home
Let’s dive a little deeper!
Home Yoga Room Size
Let me be the first to tell you…
You don’t need as much space as a studio to do yoga at home.
In fact, you really only need a 10 x 10 foot space (3 x 3 meters).
Here’s a helpful table on the square footage and space size.
Home Yoga Room Size
| Area | Space |
|---|---|
| 100 square feet (30.5 square meters) | 10 x 10 feet (3 x 3 meters) |
This is according to Jennifer Ho, a certified interior designer and traditional Chinese medicine doctor.
The space should fit two people comfortably with room for storage.
If you want to have more people in your yoga room at home, then you should consider a larger room.
How Can I Make Yoga Space at Home?
You really don’t need as much space as you think to have room for your yoga mat and a little relaxation.
Here are some ways you can make space at home:
- Convert a spare bedroom to your yoga room
- Set aside space in your family or living room
- Set up a tented area in your backyard
- Refurbish or refinish your basement or attic
If none of those options work for you, you may not need a dedicated space.
Consider just laying your yoga mat down.
Or, you could always go to a class if it’s not possible for you to do yoga at home.
Conclusion
I hope you know more about yoga mat spacing than you did before reading this post.
In case you missed just how much space per yoga mat there should be, here’s my answer again.
Yoga mats should be placed 2.5 to 3 feet (0.75 to 1 meters) apart inside a space around 4.5 x 4.5 feet (1.4 x 1.4 meters), or 21 square feet (6.5 square meters). For the best yoga mat spacing, try to stagger yours forward or behind the others by 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters).
I also went over:
- How you set up a yoga mat
- The size of a yoga mat
- Yoga mat spacing in the studio
- How big a yoga room should be in a studio and at home
- How you can make yoga space at home
Do you have any questions about yoga mat spacing or yoga in general? I’d love to answer any questions in the comments below.
Keep me updated on how your weight loss journey is going.
To your yoga success!
