Top Yoga Essentials for an Enjoyable Yoga Experience
There are plenty of studies that have proven that yoga is among the best hobbies for maintaining a healthy body and mind. Studies conducted at the Oxford University have shown that people who practice yoga at least once a week are generally less stressed out, have a lower blood pressure and sleep better at night. Furthermore, according to the National Institute of Health, yoga can help with musculoskeletal issues, especially with lower back pain, and it can even help relieve asthma.
If all these findings haven’t convinced you to give yoga a shot for the sake of improving your overall health, I don’t know what will. Maybe all the cute pieces of clothing and accessories you will need to use when practising it? Let’s take a look at the top yoga essentials you will need to make the most out of your experience.
Yoga Mat
The ideal yoga mat is sturdy, sticky, durable and long enough so that your feet and hands are both on it when doing your poses. If you sweat a lot, you might want to consider buying yoga mat towels as well – they are super absorbent and designed to fit over yoga mats, which is not the case with beach towels.
Yoga Mat Bag
If you plan on doing yoga only at home you probably won’t need a bag. However, the great thing about yoga is that you can do it anywhere you want – in the park, on the beach, in a hotel room while travelling…which makes yoga mat bags a must-have accessory in cases when you want to explore your options. There are various kinds of yoga mat bags available on the market today – no matter which one you choose, make sure it has at least a small zippered pocket for carrying your keys, phone and wallet.
Yoga Blocks
Designed to assist with both flexibility and alignment, yoga blocks are great accessories for yogis of all levels. They can be used as hand or footrests when you cannot reach the floor during a certain pose, and can provide support for your legs and back.
Yoga Clothes
Wearing the proper yoga clothes will help you get the most out of a yoga session undoubtedly. While you may think wearing an old t-shirt is fine, the thing is, for some yoga poses you will need to position your head below your hips, which will result in your T-shirt going over your head and making you feel rather uncomfortable. So, for the ultimate comfort get a yoga tank top and a pair of yoga pants that are tight but cozy so that you can give your best when doing certain poses.
Extras to Consider
Yoga straps are a great additional piece of equipment to have as they act as arm extenders and are particularly useful for poses where you need to hold onto your feet but cannot reach them. Furthermore, a yoga blanket will help you relax better at the end of your training session. And if your busy lifestyle makes it that hard to go to yoga classes regularly, a yoga DVD can help you practice your poses at home. Or, you can always turn to the internet and find some good tutorials online.