Yoga Mat

If you are practicing on a hardwood floor, using a thick yoga mat will help pad your knees to reduce knee pain and make practicing yoga more comfortable.  Two thin mats stacked on top of one another might also help achieve the same thing. It is often possible to place your “sticky mat” on top of a rug or carpet for extra padding but just be careful that it doesn’t slide around on the surface as this could be dangerous.

Yoga Blocks

One or two yoga blocks are often helpful in making certain postures more accessible. They provide an extension of your reach to help modify poses as you begin to learn new movements. Blocks are used by students of all levels and are helpful in learning proper alignment. It is more important to modify your posture than to try to go beyond your body’s natural limitations. Every body is different and you begin yoga at your own natural starting point.

Strap

A flexible strap about an inch wide and about 6 feet long is sometimes used to ease your body into stretching correctly by helping elongate your natural reach typically when you are reaching for your feet or trying to allow your hands to touch.

Yoga Clothes

Yoga clothes should be comfortable. Most yoga clothes fit like a second skin and move with you. Yoga pants are generally longer than knee length with no pockets or bulky seams as these details will often bother you as you move around on your mat. A wide waistband is usually more comfortable for movement around the waist. A yoga top is usually sleeveless for ease of arm movement and typically clings to the body so that it doesn’t “fall up” when your head is lower than your hips in postures such as forward folds or downward facing dog. Also, pockets or bulky adornments might be uncomfortable when lying on your back or your stomach. Comfort during movement is key!

Yoga Blanket/ Pillows

Many yogis use blankets for a couple of different reasons. A folded blanket or pillow underneath your sitting bones can help you sit up tall if sitting in a cross-legged position is not comfortable. Several other poses may also be more comfortable with this extra cushion. During your final resting position, savasana, blankets are often used for warmth as you relax and reflect on all your achievements during your yoga class.