5 YOGA PRODUCTS TO START YOUR PRACTICE

Starting yoga can be a bit intimidating! Check out our list, so that you show up to your first class, looking and feeling like a pro:

1. Yoga Mat: Okay, this one is a bit obvious, but it is definitely the first purchase on the list. We strongly encourage investing in a quality mat, it makes a big difference in your practice! Using a rubber mat helps keep your hands and feet in place, helping you achieve a strong foundation. Pro tip: find a place in your house where you can always keep your mat unrolled, then whenever you walk by, step on it and do some yoga, even if just for a few minutes. This is especially nice if you don’t like to roll and unroll your mat every day! Our favorite: Manduka PROlite.

2. Yoga blocks: Yoga blocks are helpful for a plethora of reasons. They can give you an assist in your heart opener, or add a bit of extension to your arms, making it easier to reach the ground, or get your hips off the mat. They are also a great tool to help with alignment! Our personal favorite is to use them in a yin practice, letting the blocks hold your weight in stagnant stretches, while allowing your muscles and fascia to relax and release. If you’re not sure how to get started with blocks, check out this short video.

3. Water Bottle: It’s nice to have a water bottle in every class that you attend, so we prefer to bring a reusable water bottle. Not only does this reduce waste, but it also saves money. At most local yoga studio’s there is often a water cooler with filtered water so you can fill up right before you go into class. If you’re going to a hot yoga class we recommend using an insulated bottle; EcoVessel makes a fabulous BPA free water bottle with two options for opening the lids. If you want something lightweight and made locally in the USA, Liberty Bottleworks has the coolest bottles with lots of colorful designs.

4. Yoga Strap: A strap can be especially useful at the beginning of your practice. We love when a teacher gives good cues on how to make certain poses and stretches more accessible with the use of a strap. Especially if you have tight shoulders, or tight hamstrings, the addition of a strap can really broaden your ability to find your ideal pose. If you’re not sure where to start with your strap, ask your favorite yoga teacher! We love sharing knowledge to help your practice improve. Check out this video to get some ideas of where to start.

5. Yoga Towel: Some people think this one isn’t necessary, and the truth is, you might not need it ever class, but that one class that you do sweat buckets, it’s so important to have a mat towel. Having a towel once you start sweating makes a world of difference in your practice. Attempting to stay on your mat with your hands and feet slipping off adds an unnecessary level of difficulty that can easily be remedied by adding your towel.

Hope this list helps, see you on your mat!