How to choose your yoga accessories
When we think of yoga, we think directly of sun salutations, serenity, a whole bunch of strange postures, but we forget the essential. We see videos on the internet, and we tell ourselves that we'll never make it, that people are too strong for us, and that it's not even worth trying.
Big mistake! Because yes, these postures wouldn't be as well done without the help of a good material, starting with the mat, which allows better postures and stabilizes them. With 300 million practitioners in the world, yoga is a real subject that deserves our attention, beyond even being a trend that we associate with a lifestyle.
As far as I am concerned, I practice yoga occasionally and have invested in a brick, which allows me to find better support and, in fact, better balance during my yoga classes.
Accessories are therefore our best allies, but all this is not free! But then how much does yoga equipment cost?
Target your expectations in yoga
Doing yoga is not as harmless as one might think, quite the contrary! This practice, if it is not a sequence of asanas, strengthening, meditation or stretching, turns out to be a more complex and richer activity than that.
The number of practitioners is a pertinent illustration that a craze is becoming more and more popular. Through this hybrid discipline, many people see it as a way to find themselves, to build a closer relationship between body and mind, or simply to do sports and stretch.
Adapted as a routine, practicing yoga can be beneficial for everyone, and getting equipment seems to be the first step. But the question remains as to why and how to get props. The answer lies within ourselves!
Indeed, before investing in, or buying, a yoga mat, a carrying strap, sports clothing, and all the accessories deemed necessary for the good practice of yoga, we must at all costs know our capacities, our level, develop our objectives, and weave expectations, in a concrete way. This way, you will be able to adapt your equipment!
Once this step is over, the question of budget is also important: what price am I willing to put in a foam mat, a brick or yoga pants? There are now accessories of all sizes, all materials, and all prices, so this step will not be very complicated. All that remains is to find an unbeatable value for money!
Setting a budget for yoga accessories
And yes, accessories are mentioned as an important subject in itself, and that's the case. But all this at a price, which one must know how to evaluate according to one's budget, and one's desire to invest in a yoga session.
Thus, while the yoga market is booming, in full development, a multitude of accessories are available for sale. We must therefore already know how to choose which ones correspond to us the most, and then look at the price.
Once this step is over, the budget remains and will remain the most important issue. Indeed, how important is the quality of my equipment to me in my progression as a small yogini? Am I :
• A beginner who wants to start yoga and do a first class?
• A beginner who just wants to do a breathing exercise and stretch his spine?
• A curious person for whom yoga postures are only a warm-up?
• A real yogi who already has a meditation cushion, an incense holder and a massage table?
• An overbooked employee who needs a dose of anti-stress, abdominal breathing and lumbar relief?
• An average person who just wants to improve in the practice of yoga, and why discover new disciplines such as kundalini yoga, iyengar yoga, chin mudra, or prenatal yoga?
All of these questions are very important, because let's not forget that you probably already pay for every class your yoga teacher gives you. A budget established at the outset, which one is sometimes tempted to forget!
However, as an example, buying a mat can go from 15$ to more than 150$ for the most expensive ones. The latter have all the functionalities you can dream of for a carpet, starting with the non-slip side, or a material more hygienic than a simple foam.
Same principle for a yoga brick, intended to go further in the positions, which can cost less than 5$, if the use is occasional or essentially beginner.
Beyond that, it's a fact, accessories are still a necessity for most of them (especially the floor mat), and you have to know how to distinguish them, among the mass that now exists on the shelves of our supermarkets.
The different ranges of yoga accessories
As you can see, there are many, many (many) types of yoga accessories, but also ranges. From the most expensive to the lowest end of the range, it's all about value for money.
Indeed, while a strap can cost 10$, it can be as much, if not more, resistant than a strap paid 35$ in a professional store. It is then necessary to know how to keep an eye open, to be vigilant with regard to the materials, the guarantees, or even the manufacturing of the product in question.
A little trick consists, for the material with which it is feasible, to simply make it yourself. Starting with yoga clothes, your white t-shirt hanging in the closet will make a perfect yoga top!
Same principle for the bricks, which you can easily replace with a mini stool (very stable however, beware of falls!) that you have at home. We are obviously talking about sport at home here, we see ourselves badly carrying a stool in our carry bag!
All these little tips can, moreover, be found on the flood of yoga blogs that exist, and which list, in each of the articles, the benefits of yoga, how to choose your mat, reflexology, do soft gym to lose weight, or opt for small foldable equipment. A goldmine for beginners!
One can therefore progress in yoga without spending a fortune, and this is still very encouraging!
Nevertheless, it is easier to get real equipment, and the ranges offered now correspond to all levels, all budgets, and all desires.
There is no longer a single range, but several universes, from organic cotton to recycled bamboo, or washable carpets. And yes, yoga is also an industry!
Changing yoga equipment
Yoga is an industry, and therefore we create new needs, like any self-respecting industry. Thus, while our gym mat was very good, there is now a washable, non-slip material that will (we promise) revolutionize our yoga exercises!
This is an additional budget, certainly, but unnecessary in itself. However, to keep this example, changing your mat is sometimes a necessity. The latter being too dirty, torn, or in poor general condition. This is where the budget, sometimes minimal, but existing, comes in addition to our yoga practice.
One can then ask oneself the question of quality. Should we directly opt for a more expensive product, but whose quality is probably better assured, or should we look at lower priced products, which we do not know if they will last long?
And here again, the debate is open, and everyone will find the answer in the expectations and the way they practice yoga, solo or in group classes, against stress or for sport, on a regular or occasional basis.
Nevertheless, yoga has become a common practice for most of us, and the number of people practicing yoga is skyrocketing.
Positive values, associated with a healthy lifestyle, combined with yoga props that are more and more effective and not so expensive, maybe it's time to take the plunge!
