101 Sale

Posts Tagged ‘yoga accessories’

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

A fantastic way to improve your Yoga practice is to set up a home Yoga studio.For some, they may not like certain studios, may not have time, or may simply like being at home. For others, it reduces the embarrassment of having the Yoga instructor tell you to do Gordian knot pose and finding that everyone else in the room looks like an entry in the Book of Kells and you just fell on your head.

Despite those practicalities, I feel there is a much greater benefit to setting up your own Yoga studio at home. At home, your studio can be customized to you desires. It can look how you want, be equipped you want, and grow with you. A professional studio will have their own schedule and register of styles. I do not intend to say anything negative about Yoga studios. I just want to present the other side- a well-constructed home Yoga studio. Having a studio in your own home becomes more than just a way around difficulty practical issues but a means of tailoring your practice to your specific desires. If you are usually a meditative practitioner, but want something more physical, you can grab a different DVD. Or if you prefer power Yoga, but are just too tired, you can practice any number of less physically demanding styles.

With these benefits, I would think all people who love Yoga would have their own studio. However, creating your own Yoga studio at home seems like it would be a no brainer, but I found it more difficult than I realized. The trouble is simple. The reason to set up your studio at home is exactly what makes it difficult: namely, life is distracting.

I found a few things to be useful when setting up a home studio.

1. First, the space should always be peaceful and separated from the goings on of the rest of the house. This is not to say that you have to build an extra room, but simply separate some space within a room from the rest of it. Decorate it to remind yourself of your practice in whatever way you like. That may be through complete quiet and no decoration or it may be through music and a lavishly decorated space. Either way is fine, but separating the space creates a quiet and peaceful place for your meditation Yoga or relaxation Yoga..
2. Schedule your Yoga practice. This is your time to enjoy your Yoga training or meditation. Remove outside distractions (i.e. turn off your cell phone, don’t have any other projects going, etc.) and people in your house know not to disturb you. Here’s the real kicker, though. Settinggoal is great, but the key to any goal is It remains a common wisdom that it is easier to set goals than follow them. Consider starting with smaller goals like practicing once a week and working up.
3. A studio cannot be what you want without havingYoga quality equipment that fits your needs. I recommend a Yoga mat that is at least 5 cm thick. I also recommend at least getting a Yoga block. They cost very little and can assist you in holding more difficult poses. Even people practicing Power Yoga can sometimes do with a Yoga block or strap.
4. Find the right Yoga DVD’s and instruction. I will briefly say that you should check into reviews and ensure that you find DVD’s that are the style you want and at your level, that’s a good start. Mostly, however, this is a big enough topic for another post.

Finally, remember one thing. Setting up the studio, making the schedule, and following through is all well and good, but there is one key element remaining- enjoy the experience! Having a home Yoga studio allows you to improve your health, relax, and tailor the space in a way not possible at a professional studio It is a wonderful thing to have, so enjoy it! Best of luck with setting it up!

You’ll make sure to place your yoga blocks in your yoga bag once you’ve experienced their many benefits to your practice. But, before we review the many benefits of yoga blocks, it’s a helpful idea to discuss the benefits of Yoga, itself.

What Yoga Practice Can Do for You

Consistent yoga practice will stimulate your mind as it energizes your body! Yoga practice involves clearing your mind and becoming totally aware of each pose. This enhances inner awareness. Your “outer body” profits as each pose nourishes, energizes, and revitalizes every cell, fiber, and tissue as a result of enhanced breathing, flexibility, strength and alignment. The goal of yoga practice is to create a union between the body, mind and spirit.

If you want to master a yoga pose, you will need extraordinary patience, plus time and dedication. No one is a master the first time they make an effort to do anything. But, slowly over time, as you practice and attempt to perform each pose correctly, without pushing yourself too far physically or beating yourself up mentally, you will discover that you are developing flexibility, strength, and energy physically and feeling more peaceful and clear mentally.

Try to create a fresh, peaceful space for your yoga practice, with a bare floor, if you can, and a clear wall. Remove any distractions from your yoga environment. Preferably, you should not eat for at least 2 hours before practicing. If you can’t go without eating, then try to eat something light, such as a piece of fruit, but no more than 1 hour before you start your yoga practice.

If you should experience pain or discomfort as you undertake a pose, pause or stop, then try again with more mindful movement.

Yoga props and accessories, such as yoga mats, yoga bolsters, yoga straps, yoga blocks, yoga mat bags, and even a yoga towel are perfect for benefiting you in moving deeper into a pose, in performing a flawless pose, and in practicing in a healthful way.

Here are some of the many benefits to using yoga props:

• Relieve pain and discomfort

• Prevent injury

• Stress relief and relaxation

• Maintain proper alignment

• Enhance movement

• Create space in the joints

• Deepen awareness, development mindfulness

Yoga Blocks

Comfort, or rather the absence of it, can more often than not make yoga novices end their practice before they’ve barely begun! Yoga blocks can aid anyone, but especially novices, to feel more relaxed during yoga practice because yoga blocks assist to improve alignment. A few of the standing yoga poses include one hand being on the floor. For something just starting out, the floor can appear to be a long way down. A yoga block can fill in the difference. Think of a yoga block as elongating your arm. While a beginner is in the process of developing flexibility, he or she will still be able to do the standing poses properly by placing a hand on a block that’s been set appropriately on the floor. A yoga block is a wonderful transitional aid.  In addition, some sitting poses make use of a yoga block.  A yoga block assists you in going a lot farther in your practice, and maybe even in your life. Who could ask for more from something so “square.”

Yoga blocks come in a fairly wide range of materials. To name a few: Foam blocks are durable and lightweight, an easy add to your yoga mat bag! Wooden blocks are also light and hollow, yet basically indestructible (even Fido would find one hard to destroy!). And, then there is the eco-friendly cork block.  An additional bonus is that the natural makeup of the cork gives a bit extra traction.

Yoga blocks are more often than not sold separately but, for utility, you’ll probably want to buy a few.

A yoga mat eliminates the slip and slide from your yoga practice by adding the stability you require to do each pose with balance and poise. But, before we applaud the benefits of this most essential of yoga “props,” as well as discuss yoga mat bags, let’s talk a little about Yoga, itself.

The Benefits of Yoga

Yoga practitioners have discovered that consistent yoga practice awakens both mind and body! As you clear your mind to give your full attention to each pose, you cultivate your “inner body” awareness of the present moment. Proper yoga practice awakens, energizes, and strengthens the structure and flow of the body. The goal of yoga practice is to create a union between the body, mind and spirit.

Patience is not only a virtue, it is the “key” to mastering a yoga pose, especially when combined with ample time and commitment. A beginner should not give up if they don’t do a pose flawlessly on the first try. But, slowly over time, as you practice and try to perform each pose flawlessly, without pushing yourself too far physically or beating yourself up mentally, you will notice that you are developing flexibility, strength, and energy physically and feeling more peaceful and clear mentally.

Try to create a fresh, peaceful space for your yoga practice, with a bare floor, preferably, and a clear wall. Avoid distractions, such as cell phones, during your yoga practice. For optimum function, you should not eat for at least 2 hours before practicing. If you can’t go without eating, then try to eat something light, such as a piece of fruit, but no more than 1 hour before you start your yoga practice.

Always be mindful with your movements, and if you encounter pain or discomfort as you attempt a pose, pause or stop, and then try again.

Yoga props and yoga accessories, such as yoga mats, yoga bolsters, yoga straps, yoga blocks, yoga mat bags, and even yoga towels are made with the intention to assist you in moving deeper into a pose, in performing a perfect pose, and in practicing in a sound way.

High on the list of the many benefits of using yoga props is that most are made to assist in relieving any pain or discomfort you may have while you are perfectly a yoga pose.

Yoga props also help to prevent injury when you are sometimes tempted to push too hard to “get it right.”

Doing yoga releases rigidity, and using props helps with stress relief by providing the support you require to relax (but not be lazy) in your practice.

Another dynamic of using yoga props is that they help you to maintain proper alignment and, as we all know, alignment is critical in getting the most benefits from a pose.

Yoga props help to enhance movement. When your joints move with ease, instead of “rubbing you the wrong way,” your yoga poses are more fluid. Certain props actually open space in the joints.

As we mentioned earlier, yoga practice is concerned with unifying the mind, body and spirit through the expansion of a deeper awareness and the evolution of mindfulness. How can yoga props assist in this great goal? When you are able to simply focus your mind on doing your yoga poses perfectly, rather than concerning yourself with transitory limitations, you will go deeper into that balance of mind, body, and spirit.

Yoga Mats

There are many benefits to using the slim, rectangular (often rubber) mat, known as a yoga mat, or a sticky mat. First and foremost, as you move into various yoga poses, a yoga mat keeps you from sliding. Its non-slip surface gives stability to your practice.

It is also made of material that gives it the “perfect” texture, the one Baby Bear would use if he practiced yoga. A surface that is too soft, like a carpet, would make balancing and position yourself very difficult. On the other hand, a few poses would be too uncomfortable for your hands, knees, and feet if you tried to practice them on a hard surface, such as a hardwood floor.

Almost all yoga mats are made of lightweight, durable latex-free rubber or natural rubber and jute fiber that offers not only stability as you practice, but protection from cool floors. There are yoga mats available, however, that are more eco-friendly.  Specifically, there is a new “environmentally friendly” yoga mat made of PER (Polymer Environmental Resin), a fabric that is accredited with being more “responsive” to the environment and your well-being than rubber yoga mats. This particularly mat doesn’t have phthalates or heavy metals, and its means of production is said to be totally non-toxic. Although, if being “super” green is your mantra, there is a rubber and cotton mesh mat on the market that comes directly from a “tapped” tree that continues to live.

Yoga Mat Bags

Yoga mat bags help to protect your mat and yoga accessories, and make hauling them more convenient. There is a small yoga mat bag, sized only a little bit larger than your mat, that is terrific if you tote only a few things with you to your yoga class. But, if you’re a person who just has to “take it all” with you, there are large, duffel-style mat bags that will hold extra goodies like yoga blocks, towels, water bottles, extra clothing, you name it.

If you’re the creative type, there are plenty of great websites that give instructions on how you can put together your own yoga mat bag out of silk or other fabrics. Ready-to-buy yoga mat bags are generally made out of nylon, cotton, organic cotton, or hemp.

Almost certainly, once you’ve used one, you’ll find a yoga strap to be an valuable “prop” in your yoga practice. But, before we list the benefits of using a yoga strap, let’s talk a little about Yoga, itself.

What Yoga Practice Can Do for You

Yoga assists you in awakening your inner body and enlivening your outer body! As you empty your mind to give your full attention to each pose, you stimulate your “inner body” awareness of the present moment. Habitual yoga practice awakens, energizes, and strengthens the structure and flow of the body. The goal of yoga practice is to create a union between the body, mind and spirit.

It takes time and commitment, as well as a whole lot of patience, to master a yoga pose. Do not expect perfect poses in the beginning. But, slowly over time, as you practice and attempt to perform each pose correctly, without pushing yourself too far physically or beating yourself up mentally, you will notice that you are developing flexibility, strength, and energy physically and feeling more peaceful and clear mentally.

The best environment for doing your practice is a clean, quiet place with a bare floor and available wall. Remove any distractions from your yoga environment. Preferably, you should not eat for at least 2 hours before practicing. If you find you need to eat, then try to eat something light, such as a piece of fruit, but no more than 1 hour before you start your yoga practice.

Always be mindful with your movements, and if you experience pain or discomfort as you try a pose, pause or stop, and then try again.

Yoga props and yoga accessories, such as yoga mats, yoga bolsters, yoga straps, yoga blocks, yoga mat bags, and even yoga towels are perfect for aiding you in moving deeper into a pose, in performing a perfect pose, and in practicing in a healthful way.

High on the list of the many benefits of using yoga props is that most are made to assist in relieving any pain or discomfort you may experience while you are perfectly a yoga pose.

Until you’ve achieved core structural strength, yoga props can help you to avoid injuring yourself.

Doing yoga releases tension, and using props helps with stress relief by providing the support necessary for you to relax (but not be lazy) in your practice.

Another dynamic of using yoga props is that they assist you in sustaining proper alignment and, as we all know, alignment is critical in getting the most benefits from a pose.

Yoga props assist in augmenting movement. When your joints move with ease, instead of “rubbing you the wrong way,” your yoga poses are more fluid. Certain props actually open space in the joints.

And, finally, we get back to one of the extraordinary benefits of yoga, i.e., the development of awareness and understanding. When you are free to focus on doing your yoga poses correctly, rather than worrying about any limitations you might be experiencing, you are more capable to experience the deeper gifts of a regular yoga practice. Yoga props can help in removing any limitations to your doing flawless yoga poses.

Now, About That Yoga Strap:

Whether you are a novice and want extra help in your poses, or you just want to get the most out of your yoga routine, a yoga strap is a great addition to your “yoga props.” Good flexibility is important in yoga practice. A rationalization for some people staying away from practicing yoga is that they think that they’re not flexible enough. Flexibility takes practice to develop, and a yoga strap can be most useful in that development. In fact, without a yoga strap, some beginners will find certain poses impossible.

A yoga strap permits you to grasp your limbs (the ones you can’t otherwise reach) or to hold a pose longer. You can use a yoga strap for a variety of poses. For instance, if you hook it around your foot while your leg is held straight, your hamstring stretch will go a lot farther! If your hands are not able to naturally clasp each other, bound poses, like cow face or Gomukhasana are hard to do without a yoga strap. A yoga strap can also be used to hold your leg in a Trikosana, to stretch your shoulder in the Shoulder Stretch Exercise, and a variety of other yoga postures.

Yoga straps are generally available in materials such as nylon and hemp, and often have buckles on the end to assist in storage and transportation.