One of the great advantages of pursuing yoga is that it doesn’t require much in the way of gear. In fact, most folks can get by with nothing more than a comfortable pair of sweats and a litte open floor space. But if you’re ready to get more serious about your yoga, there are some items that you might want to add to your routines. Here are just a few for your consideration:
Mats
Sticky yoga mats can provide a safe and comfortable non-slip surface for your yoga routine. Believe it or not, there are mats that are specifically designed for yoga, as opposed to Pilates mats or other exercise mats. A good yoga mat will tend to be thinner and easy to roll up to place in your gym bag for easy transportation and storage. By the way, most places selling yoga equipment can offer you a variety of mat styles and colors, so you’ll be able to express your individuality in the gear you choose.
Yoga Straps
Yoga straps are less common that some of the other forms of gear listed here. In fact, if you’ve been doing yoga for awhile, you still may not be familiar with them. A yoga strap is a simple nylon strap with a plastic or metal buckle. Usually light-weight, you can find them in a number of different colors. How are they used? Most commonly the yoga strap is used as an aid for those people who just can’t quite reach a specific goal in a pose. For example, they can help you with such challenging poses as the Seated Forward Bend (or Paschimottanasana) where you sit with both legs in front of you and attempt to lay your torso flat over your thighs. If your hamstrings are particularly tight, a yoga strap can be looped around your feet to pull your torso gently forward until you feel that distinctive sensation where you know you want to be.
Blocks
Yoga blocks and bricks are used by many yogis to modify poses in their workouts. These blocks can help you to deepen your stretches, reduce the strain on a particular muscle group when you’re beginning to learn a new pose, and provide a better foundation for proper body alignment. Most yoga stores will sell a variety of blocks in sizes that can help you with both simple and advanced poses.
Videos
Not technically gear, yoga workouts on DVD and video have become incredibly popular today, particularly for those who are too busy to attend a regular class, or who no longer feel the need for the guidance of a yoga instructor. You can find DVD yoga workouts for all levels, from beginner to master, including titles such as Crunch – The Perfect Yoga Workout, The Total Body Yoga Workout DVD, QuickFix – Power Yoga Workout, and ZenMama Prenatal Yoga Workout DVD. There’s something for everyone interested in yoga on DVD.
If you have a yoga store near you (or if you poke around the Interent a bit), you’ll also find that there are a variety of yoga “kits” available as well. These packages typically include all the basic yoga gear: one or two blocks, straps, a mat and sometimes even a video or flash cards of different poses. Yoga kits are a wonderful starting point for the yoga enthusiast, especially if you aren’t quite sure where to begin.
David Silva is the webmaster for Alternative Medicine First, where you can discover many of today’s alternative medicine approaches, such as holistic medicine, biofeedback, chinese medicine, meditation, homeopathic medicine, hypnosis, yoga, and more.
