Posts Tagged ‘yoga mats’
A home Yoga studio may be easier to build than you think!
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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.
- 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..
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
Looking for the Best Yoga Mats?
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.
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 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.