Yoga Accessories – Yoga mats, Yoga clothing and what have you

If you asked me, if yoga accessories are necessary my answer would be- absolutely not. They are what their name suggests – accessories! The best thing about yoga is that you don’t need anything special to perform yoga. A clean even surface is all that you need to perform yoga postures. Having said that it should be also understood that indeed there are certain accessories which can help and facilitate yoga exercises especially for beginners who need some help and support as their bodies are yet to become flexible.

 In fact in these times of commercialization yoga has not escaped the attempt of entrepreneurs who are cashing in on the wide popularity of yoga and even have tie ups with yoga schools.  But to be fair to them they have indeed come up with a quite a number of products which do help yoga and make the yoga experience a better one.

 The idea is to be firmly grounded not to be comfortable. Most of the yoga postures are not comfortable to perform in the beginning, the body gradually adapts to them.   However, the final decision rests with you and you alone to buy the product which you think you need most. The best practice is to start yoga first and buy the accessories after you have understood what you would be requiring most. For beginners, only one item is required and recommended to start with, and that is yoga mat.

 Here are a few items which you might need in your journey to your higher self through yoga.

The ubiquitous yoga Mat can be your first buy as it is required in every yoga studio you may join. Yoga mat is nothing but a rectangular spongy mat around quarter of an inch on which you can easily lie down and spread your hands and feet. It is normally 7 -8 feet long and 3-4 feet wide, though various other sizes are also available especially for the children. They come in different shades. The most important thing to look for the stuff it is made of. It should have texture that is not inconvenient and should be able to support you with firmness. In fact the basic purpose of yoga mat is to increase friction between your hands and the ground – to provide an anti skid surface as skidding while in yoga posture can lead to serious injury. Most mats these days have dents in them which provide for firm grip. Do not opt for thick, often promoted as high end mats which would take away the benefit of the yoga posture itself.

Yoga is best done in loose fit clothes though not very loose either. In fact the clothing should be such that it does not hinder the body movement in any way. So you could get yourself a descent clothing to start your yoga class but be mindful of the texture and fabric of the clothing. It should allow your body to breathe properly so cotton or lycra is the obvious choice. Besides it should also be non distracting for others and help concentrate; for this reason avoid bright colors and fancy designs for top man or woman short sleeves or tan tops are perfect. As for pants go for the slightly loose trousers without any buttons. The string pyjamas are great. Don't forget to wear your underpants which should be tight fit for men.

The answer is yes and no. these brick shaped blocks and have become quite popular these days especially in the studios where yogis are in their forties and fifties. They are nothing just little aide to your posture correction. They do provide some support as well but it would be foolish to bank on their support. It would be better to try the posture with all your might, may you can't do it right initially but eventually you will. However, once you get used to the block support you would want to use it endlessly. Anyway it is a personal choice and if one feels comfortable one can try them. But don't forget they reduce the pain but they also reduce the advantages of the posture as well.