Are you planning your yoga studio design and you are considering what type of lighting to use? If YES, here are 13 best types of lighting for yoga studios.
A yoga studio can be described as a room, building or any other place where yoga classes and instructions take place. It can be as small or as simple as a single room, or as complex as a structure that has multiple studios that include built-in props and heated humidified rooms for specialized practices like Hot Yoga.
Whether you want to craft a comfortable home yoga studio for yourself, or you want to install a commercial yoga room, it’s vital for you to put a lot of things into consideration. For this reason, yoga studios need special rooms with equally special lighting to be able to pull these practices off.
This is why lighting is a very important aspect to consider when you are putting together your yoga studio. The kind of lights you choose for your yoga studio will set the mood and atmosphere of your space. If you manage to get the wrong lights, it can give the wrong ambiance to your studio.
It’s important to feel at home while practicing yoga, no matter where the studio is located. But this aim can be defeated if your choice of lights is harsh and throws off glare.
In a bid to avoid this, there are indeed the kind of lights that can give you want you want from your yoga studio, one that would not be too harsh, dim or hot. Below are some of the appropriate lightening you can choose from for your yoga studio.
Best Lighting Use for Yoga Studio
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The light of nature
Yoga is synonymous with nature, so the best kind of light yogis recommend is the natural light. This idea is best for yoga clubs that offer early morning classes to help awaken one’s body and mind. To ensure that you make the most of the sunshine, you have to start from the construction stage. You need to design the yoga studio in such a way that boasts openness and spaciousness.
Your yoga club must feature large, open windows so that not only soft sun-rays enter the club, but the calming breeze as well.
You can also hang curtains to avoid unnecessary heat and sunlight. The windows should ideally be facing the east or north directions as they both are favorable for spiritual practice. This is free lighting, so you should endeavor to take advantage of it, especially if you have morning classes.
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Wall Lights/Sconces
While practicing yoga poses, yogis turn their face in all sorts of directions including the upward direction. Having a light right above their head could interrupt their focus and concentration. Therefore, a far more appropriate option for them could be installing up-light wall sconces.
Wall lights are fantastic for designing accent lighting. They come in a range of sizes that allow you the highlight big or small pieces of art. These work great on art walls and for showcasing the architecture of your space.
Another great aspect of up-light wall sconces is that their light doesn’t directly shine into your eyes. The direction of light is directed straight towards the ceiling. You can find various types of wall sconces on the market. Some of the types that would be great for your yoga studio include;
- Half-Moon Sconces
Half-Moon Sconces are one of the most popular wall lighting for yoga studios. These form of lighting have some endearing peculiarities which may include, being small, compact, and super stylish. They are tightly fixed against the wall, washing the entire wall with luminosity. The best part about half-moon sconces is that it keeps the room dimly lit, which is in fact ideal for your workouts.
- Candle Wall Sconce:
Candle scones are a brilliant way to set a soothing mood and atmosphere in a yoga studio. The nature of this lighting encourages people to unwind and de-stress. In addition, they also make the space more comfortable and bring out a home-like feeling. If you want your yoga studio to radiate calm and relaxing vibes, install candle sconces today.
Candles scones come in a variety of styles and designs from offering electric candle sconces to sconces with candle holders. Go for the one that matches well with the overall theme of your yoga studio. These lights will instantly create an intimate environment, allowing yoga members to feel free and easy.
- Swing Arm Wall Light: Unlike other kinds of lights, the swing arm wall light gives you the liberty to move the unit whichever way you want. This increased mobility gives yogis the ability to position the light in the direction that they find better and convenient. Since yogis practice various yoga poses, they wouldn’t want the light to be a major distraction. Hence, having swing arm wall lights would be the best option for them.
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Color Lighting
Another good lighting option for your yoga studio is the color lighting. Most modern yoga clubs use this type of lighting for special effects. Color Lights in different colors do create a relaxing experience for the class especially if the chosen lights are in soft, dim colors.
Color lighting will also give you the opportunity to promote color therapy that may help treat various psychological ailments. Some of the best color lights that will enhance your yoga classes are:
Green: Green lights are the safest hued lights that can suit your yoga studio as well as your students. They are good for all kinds of healing. Most importantly, they give off safe and soothing vibes that will encourage yogis to practice their yoga with ease.
Blue: The blue light is a soft hue that gives off a calming effect. This effect gives participants an absolute state of calm and peace, separating them from the outside world completely.
A blue-light cocoon will also help members of your yoga club to feel more fresh and energized. Experts say that blue lights have a direct effect on melatonin – a hormone that controls the sleep cycle. When yogis are surrounded by blue lights they are able to perform better as it makes them fully alert.
Red: Practicing yoga in red lights help boost blood circulation, improve metabolism, and elevate your energy levels. The light frequency of red color is highly-penetrable and stimulating. If your yoga members happen to suffer from various physical and mental ailments, installing red lights would do a world of good to them.
Violet: Violet lights are installed in yoga studios that encourage the promotion of inner peace and mental calm. They are also great for stimulating meditation, inspiration, spirituality, and wisdom.
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Recessed Lighting
Recessed lights are yet another light source for a yoga studio. These lights are called downlights and sometimes pot lights in Canadian English. Recessed lights are light fixtures which are installed into hollow openings inside the ceiling.
When the lights are switched on, it looks like it is shining from a hole in the ceiling. The light also concentrates downward. Depending on the setting, they can look like narrow spotlights or broad floodlights. Recessed lights are perfect for yoga studios as they allow you to easily control the amount of light flooding the room.
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Track Lighting
Track lighting is another good lighting source for you yoga studio. Here, the light fixtures are attached in a single continuous track device.
This device contains several electrical conductors, which is a better option than creating different electrical wiring in individual areas. Track lights can be mounted to walls or ceilings similar to beams. You can also attach them to joists or rafters.
Yoga studios need plenty of light so that your space feels clean and inviting. The light from track lights is really bright and will definitely help to make the room feel more open. You can also get dimmer attachments so that you can turn down the light when you are practicing a relaxation technique or conducting breathing exercises.
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Flush Mount Ceiling Lights
Modern flush lights are easy to install and they can provide light to large spaces without wasting energy and money. They are available in all sorts of fixture and styles so you can always choose the perfect one for your yoga studio. Flush Mount Ceiling Lights are mounted onto the surface of the ceiling. An oval orb is usually installed so that the light spreads in a broad fashion.
However, users are, by no mean, restricted to the orbs and can pick any of the other available styles. The problem with this light is that even if you get dimmers, the light spreads in a wider angle and may not soften as you want it to in the yoga studio. Regardless of that, this light has its uses.
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Ceiling Fan with Light
Ceiling fans with lights are perfect in the center of the room where they allow smooth airflow and plenty of light. However, in larger rooms, you may need two fans to properly ventilate the room. You will also need a high ceiling to install this lighting fixture to avoid bumping into the fan while stretching. You may also need to pair the fan with other lighting fixtures since one light may not be enough for the studio.
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Floor Lamps
Floor lamps are a staple in most interior home decorations, and they have thus emerged as a lighting option for yoga studios as well. They are highly functional since the light isn’t far away on the ceiling but rather close by. Depending on their positioning, they also create amazing shadows which can add a nice atmosphere to the room.
9. LED Lighting
A key factor in many yoga studios is to keep the temperature of the room stable. LED lights offer the benefit of putting off less heat than most traditional lighting methods, allowing you to maintain the room temperature during yoga sessions without overworking your AC.
LED lights also offer the benefit of strip LED lighting to help evenly distribute the light throughout the studio, giving each student the right amount of light and darkness without ultra-bright or dark spots that can be distracting during a yoga session.
10. Well Washing
Your yoga classes may be one of those classes where lighting is kept to the minimal. One way to keep the lighting minimal during these classes while still keeping the ambiance of the class setting is to use well washing lights.
Well washing illuminates the walls rather than the room. The lighting can come from above, below, or both and is usually run across or inside the baseboards and trim. The lights can be set to a switch in the room that will turn off the overhead lighting and switch on the well lighting.
The lighting can also be set on a dimmer switch to make setting the lighting mood easier for each class and each teacher’s personality.
11. Cove Lighting
Cove lighting is ideal for yoga classes that mix a meditative element into the asanas of a specific yoga form. Cove lighting is used primarily on ceiling areas and can illuminate the outline of the room. It can also be done in strips, design patterns, or to give a specific effect the instructor may be looking for.
For example, you can use LED lighting strips to create a pattern on the ceiling that gives the impression of an ocean or night sky.
Once the lighting is turned on, the pattern appears and can even adjust in color or in a fading effect for the duration of the class. This helps with the meditative portion of the class by giving a soothing lighting point for the students to focus on.
12. Lighting and Sound Integration
Your studio design may not allow for things like flowing water and other ambient sounds. You can still have these soothing noises in your studio or in specific rooms of your studio while connecting them to the lighting.
Your electrician can connect the lighting and sound effects on a panel that is easily accessible and easy to use. The panel will allow you to choose the sounds, the duration of the sounds, lighting changes, and the lighting duration. You can make changes to these lighting and sound integrations and store certain patterns in the device to use later.
13. Projector Lighting
One way to give your studio a unique feel is to create an ocean or galaxy effect throughout the room. With this in mind, projector lighting may be ideal. You can have your electrician install a projector in the main study or in each room of the studio building. When you are ready to use the projector, simply put in the film that fits the mood and set the projector timer.
3 Types of Lighting to Avoid in your Yoga studio
Since there are lights that bring out the beauty of a yoga studio that can also make the participants stay calm, there are as well some types of lighting that should not find their way into your studio. These types of lights can be very harsh, dangerous and otherwise less functional. The following lighting options are what you should avoid when setting up your yoga studio.
a. Pendant and Chandelier lighting
Chandelier or pendant lights are common lighting types in many homes. The light fixtures are suspended from the ceiling and look really beautiful.
However, they have different suspension systems. A chandelier hangs from an intricate branched system so that you can attach several light bulbs together. On the other hand, pendant lights hang from the cord or chain and have single or multiple lights at the end.
While they may look classy, these lights are not suitable to be installed in a yoga studio. You need a really high ceiling for these since they often hang too low and can disturb your students.
b. Candles
Candles are romantic and calming, but that does not mean that they are a good fit for your yoga studio. It is a fact that scented candles often provide the aromatherapy to relax the body and mind, and their gentle light that can be very soothing.
However, for yoga studios where there are a lot of students, candles can be quite dangerous as they can lead to fire hazards. If you enjoy practicing yoga with lit scented candles, keep in mind that doing meditation at home with some scented candles is very different from having 20 students in a yoga class full of candles.
c. Fluorescent Lighting
Fluorescent lamps have mercury and gas-based system that produce visible light. The electric current makes the mercury vapor active, which produces a bright ultraviolet light. While the light they produce is bright, they are an expensive option since they use a lot of energy to work. They are also noisy and unpleasant to deal with in the yoga studio where you need pin-drop silence to meditate.
8 Things to Consider When Choosing your Yoga Studio Lighting
- The Layout of the Yoga Studio
One thing to remember as you design the lighting for your yoga studio is that it has to follow the layout of your studio. The lighting one studio used may not be suitable for your own. You need to take cognizance of your studio layout before you start making any purchases, or falling in love with any light fittings.
- The nature of the yoga you practice
Another thing that can influence the lighting you use in your yoga studio is the nature of the yoga you practice. A lighting that would be suitable for an asana practice would not be suitable for hot yoga, and vice versa. This in fact is one of the first things to keep in mind while thinking of light fixtures.
- Trends in the Yoga industry
Trends in the industry should be another thing to keep in mind while looking out for a suitable lighting for your yoga studio. What’s popular now will not always be popular. Customer needs will also change as the equipment and trends change.
You may need to alter the layout of your yoga studio to keep customers happy and coming back. As fitness trends change, your lighting will give the versatility you need to come up with new designs.
- The Height of the Ceiling
Just like the ingredients can make or break a meal, the light fixtures can make or break a yoga studio. The ceilings in most studios are at least 20 feet high and need specific light fixtures. For instance, low bays aren’t the best in a studios with a high ceilings. They’re ideal for ceilings that are not higher than 20 feet.
If a yoga studio with a high ceiling height uses low bays, the light will be insufficient, so the space will be dark. Make sure the lighting fixtures do not hang low so they don’t interfere with their workouts.
- The Type of Ceiling
Another thing that has a great impact on the lighting fixtures you choose for your yoga studio is the material used for the ceiling. Plasterboard ceilings work well with almost all gym lighting fixtures, including suspended and recessed options.
Concrete ceilings have many limitations and only surface-mounted lighting solutions are suitable for them. T-bar ceilings also have limitations and require troffer lights for a streamlined look. Identify the type of ceiling in your studio before you go ahead and buy light fixtures.
- The Hours of Operation
Every yoga studio has specific hours of operation from half a day to 24 hours. If your studio operates for 12 to 24 hours a day, install lights that can function for a long periods. Get lights that don’t need maintenance or risk burning out.
In the less utilized areas of the facility, you can pair lights with lighting controls. Optimize by switching them on and off depending on the occupancy. Lighting controls can help you to lower your energy consumption. After you switch to LED technology you’ll save even more money in the process.
- The Color of the Walls, the Ceiling, and the Floor
When it comes to illuminating your gym, the lighting fixtures are not the only thing you should think of. The color of the walls, floors, and ceilings plays an important role in illumination. Light-colored floors, walls, and ceilings have a high reflectance level. You can use light fixtures with a lower lumen output.
But dark-colored walls, floors, and ceilings do not reflect light. Meaning you will need light fixtures with a higher lumen output. Many yoga studio have plenty of mirrors to help patrons see their workout routines. Since mirrors are reflective, don’t make it hard on your clients’ eyes with high lumen output
- Flexible Lighting Options
Because different areas of a yoga studio are in use for many purposes, they need different light fixtures. Flexible lighting, such as those that work with dimmers make all the difference. Some LED lights are flexible so you can change the light output. Installing flexible fixtures in multi-functional spaces will provide the right lighting. It will create the atmosphere needed for any exercise.
Conclusion
From studies so far, the best lighting for your yoga studio is either the wall sconces or indirect lighting. People are on their backs and looking up at different times throughout the yoga class, and so you don’t really want them looking into the fixtures directly.
If you have to have fixtures over their heads, at least try to get a filtered lens on the fixture so they aren’t looking straight at the bulb. In addition, all the lighting in the room should be dimmable. That allows the instructor to control the brightness and ambiance depending on the type of class.
If possible, you want to place the lighting controls near the instructor to minimize them having to move a lot in the event they want to change the lighting during the class. There are lots of lighting control systems, and they can do everything from dim lights automatically, to changing lighting with the push of a button, to preset lighting settings.