You don’t need anything but a mat to do yoga and still get a lot out of it. It’s the act that counts when it comes to clearing your mind and de-stressing. And stretching the muscles is a great way to improve your flexibility and overall health. Yoga is one of the best nonimpact exercises that you can do.
However, some people either hit a plateau and feel they are struggling to get to the next level. Others just need to have something else that helps them enjoy the practice more. And anything that helps you want to do more yoga is definitely a good thing.
In these cases, it is a good idea to bring in some accessories to help you with your practice. In this article, I will give you some ideas on how you can elevate your yoga sessions so you get even more out of them.
Get a pulse massager
This is advice for those just getting into yoga. When first starting a new workout routine that uses muscles that you aren’t used to using, it can be quite uncomfortable afterward. Discomfort that may make people not want to continue.
To make sure that you feel as great as you should after your workout, you should try a pulse massager to keep the muscles from getting stiff after the workout. The point of yoga is to stretch the muscles and get flexible. However, you will be putting your body into some new poses that you may not even be doing correctly. This will cause some stiffness instead of the looseness that you were expecting.
A massager will allow you to feel what you did actually expect from the yoga session until the time that you are used to using the muscles and can get into the positions correctly.
Straps and blocks
The biggest obstacle to beginners doing yoga is that it is very difficult to make the poses. And then you feel like you just can’t do it right and give up. A way around this is to use blocks and straps to get your body into the right position or to hold the position once you get it.
There is nothing wrong at all with doing this as the important thing is to just keep going. Unless of course your incorrect pose will cause an injury. Use a set of straps to pull your legs into position, for example. Or to keep your back aligned.
A block can be used to help you keep your hands planted if you wouldn’t be able to reach the floor. This is like raising the floor to meet your hands so you don’t have to strain your back by bending.
You don’t even have to buy these things as you can use stuff that you find around the house. Instead of straps, try using a throw blanket you have on the couch. And blocks can be anything that will help you add some height such as a box or even the first step on a stool.
Make a yoga room
When you have a space that is dedicated to your practice and is always ready when you are then you are more likely to do it more often. And doing yoga more often is the best way to get better at your practice.
You can make it a room that is not currently being used and set it up, or you can just find a corner of a room that won’t miss a few feet if you take it over as your own little studio.
You can set it up whichever way is going to be most comfortable to you. Some essentials are storage for all of your yoga gear so it is always where you will be using it. Some plants are also ideal to lend a sense of peace. If you need to follow along with a video course then a monitor or at least a small table to place a laptop for videos.
Yoga clothes
Even though you can do yoga in whatever clothes you already have, you can get more out of it by using clothes that allow you to stretch and move around unimpeded. The key is to make sure that the material is stretchy but also very breathable so you don’t overheat.
A sports bra will also help you move around without being uncomfortable. Once again, the key is to make sure that it allows you to sweat and for the moisture to be wicked away.
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
