What props or accessories do I need for my yoga practice?
“I’m new to yoga, what props do you recommend for my at-home yoga practice?”
I cannot tell you how many times this question has been asked in my classes, private sessions, online, and just about everywhere else for curious people getting started at home. Aside from what I consider the most important prop for a home practice, the yoga mat, here are my top 4 accessories I love to use and have on hand. Not only will these accessories be great for your home practice, they are also small and portable to be carried to your next in-person yoga class.
Read below my top 4 accessories for yoga practice (at home or on the go!)
Quick View of my top 4 yoga accessories
Yoga Straps
Help reach positions with this belt like strap. Of course my favorite color is purple for a yoga strap.
Non-Slip Yoga Towel
If you are going to do hot yoga, or sweat and slip a lot in your practice, this is a must-have! The microfiber is soft and moisture-wicking, allowing for the sweat to not pool up under your hands and feet, which can lead to slipping. In addition, this also makes an easy clean-up after practice. Most importantly, you want to make sure you purchase a towel with the little rubber padded balls on the back side of the towel. This will help ensure that the towel does not move during practice.
HINT: spray the towel with a little bit of water before practice starts to quick-activate the grip on the back of the towel.
Mat Cleaner
If there is one piece of wisdom I wish was given to me when I first started practicing yoga, it would be to have proper mat care and cleaning routine. Please DO NOT use clorox wipes on your yoga mat. They can degrade the mat and in addition, have toxic chemicals on there that you may breathe or get on your body. In the past I have used a tea tree oil and lemongrass essential oil mixture (diluted) to help clean the mat. However, this still was not effective for on the go cleaning. Is alsso learned that some pets can not handles tea tree oil, making these wipes convenient and also pet safe!
Yoga Blocks: lift and support
Yoga blocks, part of the supportive props like bolsters, towels, and straps, are my go-to for base support. I love to use a yoga block in seated meditation to allow my hips space and support with the low lift of the yoga block.
In addition to supportive yoga postures that use yoga blocks to achieve the pose, blocks can also help get into trickier poses, like triangle, or half moon. In addition, they can be used between the knees in bridge poses to engage stability in the legs and core and providing feedback to body on alignment!
HINT: Start with a low height foam density block for a softer support. Then, if you wish for a harder density block, try a cork block with a higher height.
Yoga Strap
eet your body where it is. Sometimes it can be tough to realize we may not be as flexible as our past selves. Yoga straps are a way to help get your body into the pose and keeping the shape of the pose in order to engage the muscles needed to stretch and relax. Typically, I prefer to use a nylon fabric with metal D loops for ease of use in feeding the fabric through the loop for a secure fit. However, you can also use yoga straps for supportive yoga postures such as supine bound angle pose.
In addition to helping you get into a pose, they are quick to roll up and take with you!
