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Clothing: Comfortable, breathable clothes are recommended for
yoga. You probably want to wear a shirt that is a little bit
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 have super slick lycra-type pants since in
some poses this may cause you to slip.
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. Yoga studios will often request that you
leave your shoes near the entrance.
Mats: In gyms and yoga studios, it’s commonplace to use a yoga
mat, also called a sticky mat. 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. Most studios have
mats for rent, usually 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.
Optional Equipment
The following yoga props come out of the Iyengar tradition. Iyengar
style yoga teaches that having the proper alignment in the poses is the
most important thing, and until the body becomes open enough, students
should use props to bring the body into alignment to achieve maximum
benefit and avoid injury. Iyengar’s use of props has been adopted by
many other styles of yoga. The props are usually provided for students
to use during class and there is no need to buy your own unless you are
beginning a home practice.
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 props to sit and lie on
during 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. They come in handy for all sorts of things during
class, and if it’s chilly you can use them to cover yourself during
final relaxation at the end of class.
Blocks: Like blankets, blocks 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 poses where you need to hold onto
your feet but cannot reach them.
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