The best yoga props for your home practice.
As our home yoga practice moves from a temporary solution to a more permanent piece of our lives, I’ve had more and more students ask me what my favorite yoga mat is and what props are worth investing in.
Here are a few of my favorite things you may want on your wish list this season:
Yoga Mat - This is really the ONLY thing you need and its one reason I LOVE yoga. You can keep it minimal. And you might be surprised that I’m not picky about the brand, thickness, material, etc. Give me a mat and I’ll roll it out and practice.
BUT if you are pushing and I could only have one yoga mat for the rest of my days, it would be a Manduka mat. DC locals looking to purchase can find Manduka mats at Summit to Soul, a local woman owned biz on Capitol Hill.
Yoga Blocks - If you are buying new yoga blocks, splurge for the cork blocks. The extra weight (versus foam blocks) aids in making poses more stable and supportive. And the cork blocks could double as light weights for my Triple B classes! Again I love Manduka products, but Jade products are also solid and ya know it’s just a yoga block so if you spy one at T.J. Maxx grab it!
Yoga Strap - If you are creating a whole cozy yoga nook in your home for all your gear, get a yoga strap. Go for the 8 foot version if you spy an option. But if you don’t have dedicated spot for props, you can easily bypass this purchase and use an actual belt, a scarf, or a hand towel.
Yoga Blanket - My Be You Hub and Zen Business Hubs feature a monthly gentle yoga class with Tuesday Irby. These classes usually recommend you have three yoga blankets. This is an easy hack. If you don’t want to invest in a yoga blanket you can use a few full size bath towels or your favorite throw blanket that you snuggle with during netflix. I recently took home two blankets from Realignment Studio, but had made it twenty years in a home practice without it. If using the blanket as a prop to sit up taller, I often suggest sitting on a yoga block if no blanket around.
Hand Weights - Ok this I DO recommend investing in for those who regularly take my Triple B class in the Be You Hub. Resistance training is an imperative add-on in our weekly wellness routine! Aging bodies mean we (especially peri/post menopausal women) need to strengthen and tone muscles. Pick up a set at a local sporting good store.
If picking up weights is new to you, I recommend starting with a pair of 2 pound & 3 pound dumbbells.
If you’ve regularly added weights to your fitness routines you may want to start with a pair of 3 & 5 pound dumbbells.
And if you only want to buy one pair go for a 3 pound set - you can always pick up a can of beans or that cork yoga block you bought as the lighter set.
But friends please don’t let not having a specific prop stop you from a yoga practice. Even the mat can be optional and almost every prop has a good substitute….your body! If you use a yoga block to get your hand closer to the ground often if you bend your knees your hands can reach the ground without a block. If that same block is shoved under your bum to support you in pigeon pose try staying higher in the pose and enjoy the bonus strengthening it takes without a block. I support figuring out how to picture the poses in new ways based on what we are working with.
I do have a dedicated yoga space in my home for virtual teaching, but that space also doubles as our home office which means my hubby might be using it when I have time for home practice. If I was so stuck to having all my yoga props, I wouldn’t get in the home practice. So yes get the things and create the space, but don’t get stuck on them.