Basic Yoga Props

Basic Yoga Props

One of the many wonderful aspects of learning and practicing yoga is that it does not require much gear.

Yoga does sport its own small set of apparatus, however, which some find of great assist. Called yoga props, they help make the yoga poses more comfortable, create resistance or give the body something to help with bending over or to lean upon.

These yoga props also help you to achieve the proper alignment, balance and make the poses a bit easier to achieve. The use of props also minimizes strain and supports your muscles, thus allowing you to save your energy by exerting less effort on a Yoga pose.

Although yoga is generally practiced in bare feet or socks, a comfortable pair of shoes is a good fit for others. Clothing should be loose enough to allow for bending and stretching during your yoga sessions.

Yoga props can help people with medical ailments and the elderly to overcome their limitations. The props provide support, enabling them to do the poses that their ailments or old age might otherwise prevent them from doing.

To get started with yoga, all you need are these basic items:

Clothing: Comfortable, breathable clothes are recommended for yoga. You may want to wear a shirt that is a somewhat form-fitting, since in many yoga poses your head comes below your hips and your shirt can slide down.

Any exercise pants or shorts will do, although it?s best not to wear super slick lycra-type pants, as you could slip easily in some of the yoga poses.

Shoes: Yoga is most often done barefoot, which is great news for those of us tired of carrying a bulky pair of athletic shoes around for after work trips to the gym. However, for those who like the support or feel of something more on their feet, socks or lightweight shoes can be a comfort.

Yoga studios will often request that you leave you street shoes near the entrance.

Mats: A yoga mat, often called a "sticky mat" is usually a standard equipment feature in many gyms and yoga studios. The mat helps define your personal space, but more importantly, it creates traction for your hands and feet so you don?t slip, especially as you get a little sweaty. The mat also provides a bit of cushioning on a hard floor.

If you are just getting started with yoga, you may not want to buy a mat right away. You can usually rent a yoga mat in most studios for a dollar or two per class.

The disadvantage to these mats is that lots of people use them, and they can get smelly between washings. Yoga mats can be purchased for as little as $20, and many studios will allow you to store your mat with them if you become a regular.

Blankets: Yoga studios often have stacks of blankets available for students to use during class. Grab yourself one or two blankets at the beginning of class.

The folded blankets are used as props to sit and lie on during yoga class. For instance, when sitting in a cross-legged position, it?s nice to put a blanket under your sit bones to elevate the hips above the knees.

Blankets come in handy for all sorts of things during your yoga class, and if it?s chilly you can use them to cover yourself during final relaxation at the end of your yoga class session.

Blocks: Yoga blocks, like blankets, are props to make yourself more comfortable and improve your alignment. Blocks are great for standing poses in which your hand doesn?t reach the floor.

Straps: Straps are particularly useful for bound poses if your hands do not reach each other, and for yoga poses where you need to hold onto your feet but cannot reach them.