When Andrew and I started house hunting back in 2024 one of the most important things we considered, other than geographical location, was how much space we needed and how best to utilize a given floor plan. Our house in Medford, Oregon had plenty of space, arguably too much, since several rooms were rarely used. On the other side of the spectrum our tiny rental in Olhão, Portugal forced us to reevaluate some of our US-bred preconceived notions of size. We felt a bit like Goldilocks searching for just the right fit.

Part of the appeal here in our Urgezes house is several tiny rooms that seemed tailor made for us. For instance we no longer wanted a TV in the living room. We had one in both Medford and Olhão and it dominated the room and all of our activities, so we now have a tiny media room.

Another of our small rooms is accessed through a door between the kitchen/dining room/living room. A lot of people who visit don’t even realize a room is there unless the door is open. I love a secret room and use it as a small yoga studio. It serves double duty as a laundry drying room during wet or temperamental weather. We keep our dehumidifier in there for this purpose.

The room is big enough for the two of us to do yoga and I have more than enough room for my solo yoga adventures. I haven’t fully decorated the walls and still haven’t settled on an organization system for my yoga props, but I really love spending time in there. We chose a light blue color for the walls which contrasts nicely with the stone floors.

There is a cute little froggy fountain to help with the ambiance, a tiny zen rock garden, and some crystals we have been gifted throughout the years. One of the centerpieces from our wedding, which we affectionately call our love tree, has a home in the corner of the room. I adore doing yoga by candlelight, so various candles find their way into the room.

Sometimes I miss a day here and there when life gets too busy. Even in retirement distractions abound. No matter what, I always look forward to my next yoga session in my little oasis. Yoga makes me feel strong and centered, and was instrumental in fostering body confidence and positivity after ACL reconstruction surgery last year. My mind and body connection had been imbalanced for a variety of reasons and yoga helps tremendously with this.

I’ve found various teachers online, but my favorite instructor by far is Adriene Mishler on YouTube. She has hundreds of free yoga videos with a monthly calendar and a theme. I especially love her sense of humor. She is super passionate about yoga, but doesn’t take herself too seriously and it is a great fit for me.

Our cats LOVE yoga too and show their affection by scratching up any yoga mats left on the floor. Another favorite feline activity is drinking from the froggy fountain, the temptation of running water is too darn hard to resist. If you crave any semblance of solitude during yoga, you better close the door, otherwise it will certainly be a group endeavor. If you are into yoga and furry friends, it is the perfect combination and if it isn’t, you can always just close the door for a little quiet time.