Whether you are an experienced yoga practitioner or you’ve recently begun, having the right accessories is a vital element in ensuring successful and comfortable practice.
The practice of yoga is focused on benefiting both body and mind. It helps you to gain better control over and awareness of your body, have better balance, flexibility and posture, maintain good respiratory and cardiovascular processes and boost your immunity. In terms of mind improvement, yoga helps to balance your moods, gain more concentration and focus, fight stress and attain overall good mental health.
What Equipment Do You Need For Yoga?
Yoga is also one of the simplest and most convenient forms of exercise, and it can be practiced alone, in a group, at home, or in a yoga class or studio. You don’t need expensive or heavy gym equipment or a dedicated space. There is no age bar for yoga. Senior citizens can opt for innovations such as Chair Yoga, and you can practice different aspects such as meditation, stretching, or breathing at any convenient time or location.
To make the practice more comfortable, it is important to have the right accessories. These are very simple and affordable and are based on the school of yoga that you practice. It is important to choose the right equipment so that you don’t injure yourself. You may need certain props to ensure that the alignment and posture are correct. If you have just entered the world of yoga, you may need only a basic mat. As you progress with more complex postures, you may need more equipment to help you attain higher levels.
Choose the best quality yoga mat that you can afford. This is a good investment as it will last you for a long time and give you the support and comfort you need. Yoga blocks are accessories you need when you advance in practice and begin to perfect your postures. They provide support and firmness. Make sure they are of the right size and material. A yoga strap makes all the difference in getting the maximum out of your stretching poses. They prevent injury to hamstring muscles and shoulders when you have to stretch these parts of your body.
Some schools of yoga recommend that you use cushions and bolster pillows to get the most benefit from healing yoga practices. Some yoga teachers substitute pillows and cushions with rolled up blankets. If you have difficulty with certain postures, or mobility restrictions, a chair can become a good aid. Make sure that the chair is on firm ground and will not slip or shift during yoga practice.
Why Use A Yoga Mat?
Of all the accessories and equipment listed above, the yoga mat takes top priority. It is the one thing that you absolutely cannot practice yoga without. It offers support, grip and stability so that you remain safe and can practice yoga confidently.
The mat offers a layer of cushioning between your body and the hard surface of the floor. This means that you can hold a complex yoga pose for a longer time without feeling pain or strain.
Many people wonder whether a yoga mat is the same as an exercise or fitness mat that you find in a gym. The difference lies in the nature of both practices. Fitness mats are designed to provide cushioning against high-impact jumping, running, hopping, or aerobic exercises. They are thick, spongy and well-cushioned to absorb impact shocks. As a result, they are smoother and heavier.
Yoga mats are thinner, lightweight and non-spongy. They help you to maintain your connection with the earth, but at the same time, they are a barrier against allowing the psychic and physical energy to be absorbed by the earth. Having your own personal yoga mat is important as it establishes familiarity and helps you to perform consistently well. You can find a good selection at Rest & Digest.
Finding the Best Yoga Mat In 2024
As you advance in the practice of yoga, you will have to upgrade your yoga mat to sync with the more complex requirements. As a beginner a budget mat would suffice but here too, quality has to be prioritized. Choose your mat according to the school of yoga that you practice – whether it’s hot yoga, power yoga, hatha yoga, ashtanga, restorative or other.
Top 3 Qualities : The 3 essential qualities that yoga mats must have are support, grip and size. Ensure that the yoga mat is thick enough to support you and give you the right cushioning against the hardness of the floor. The mat must be 100% slip-proof to avoid injuries. Choose a mat that best accommodates your size if you are taller or heavier than average.
Material: Mats are available in cotton, jute, rubber, PVC, cork and TPE. The cheapest and most commonly found ones are made from PVC but they are not very popular because they can release toxic chemicals, may cause allergies, sometimes have a nasty smell and don’t last very long. Another popular material is NBR and it offers several benefits such as being non-toxic, lightweight, low maintenance, and is also breathable, strong, moisture-resistant and has a dense texture. Cork yoga mats are eco-friendly and lightweight.
Portability and Maintenance: Select a yoga mat that is easy to roll up and carry with you. You may travel to your yoga class on a bicycle, public transport or in your own vehicle. Get a mat that has its own straps or carry bag, and is lightweight enough. Cotton or other natural fiber mats fit the bill best. Some materials are hard to clean and they show impact marks and get discolored in certain places. Choose a material that is low maintenance and won’t collect dust or dirt from floors that haven’t been vacuumed recently.
Color and Style: As with any accessory that you own, it must reflect your personality and be aligned with your personal values. When choosing a yoga mat it’s no different. You want something that is easy to clean, remains hygienic and looks classy. Choose a color that won’t show sweat stains. An often overlooked aspect is design. You would think that there’s nothing much that can be done with a 6×2 foot flat surface. But look for mats that have motivational messages, embossed designs or even pictorial representations of various poses to jog your memory.
Budget: When you start out with yoga, you can invest in a cheaper but good-quality mat. However, you will soon find that it wears out and has to be replaced. At this point, you would have advanced more in the practice of yoga, and it’s the right time to upgrade to a better quality and possibly more expensive mat. Keeping your eye on texture, cushioning, comfort, and eco-friendly material, you should be prepared to spend up to USD 100 for a top-quality yoga mat. Cork mats are in the higher range, but they are a long-term investment that will certainly pay off as you progress.
