Choosing the best yoga mat can be tricky for those who are not sure what they want and need, and this is true especially for first-time yoga students. The tendency is to just go for the thickest mat, thinking this will be the most comfortable as well. Truth is though, it’s not just cushion [...]]]>

Choosing the best yoga mat can be tricky for those who are not sure what they want and need, and this is true especially for first-time yoga students. The tendency is to just go for the thickest mat, thinking this will be the most comfortable as well. Truth is though, it’s not just cushion or thickness that should determine your choice of a yoga mat, it’s comfort, lifestyle, and level of yoga practice.

Types of Yoga Mats

Yoga mats differ in colors, designs, thickness, portability (or travel-friendliness), surface texture, eco-friendliness, etc. You can also choose between yoga mats that fold or roll up for easy storage. However, the main categories that most people consider when buying a yoga mat is portability and thickness, because the latter determines the comfort and ease with which you can do your yoga exercises. Here are some of the different types of yoga mats to help you choose if you’re on the market for one.

Travel Yoga Mats

Yoga has countless holistic benefits that a lot of people take their yoga practice with them wherever they go. If you’re one of those people who can’t go without their daily yoga exercise even when travelling for work or leisure, a lightweight, slip-resistant yoga mat is the ideal type for you. Travel yoga mats tend to be quite thin to make them lightweight and portable, this is why a lot of yogis use a yoga towel with an absorbent surface (like microfiber) for extra cushion and grip. Just a word of caution: thin yoga mats are more prone to wear and tear, so make sure you get a thin travel yoga mat from a tried and tested brand.

Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats

A lot of yogis also put prime importance on the eco-friendliness of the material used in making their yoga mat. This is because one of the central teachings of yoga is respect for life. Most companies that sell yoga mats make use of PVC, natural rubber, hemp, or cotton in making their products, and these are the companies that remain popular and have a wide client base.

If you are particular about what your yoga mat is made of, don’t worry because there are a lot of brands out there that use high-quality, sustainable or biodegradable materials in making their yoga mats.

Textured Yoga Mats

The typical PVC-based sticky yoga mat that you see at department stores and sporting goods stores generally have enough grip in them to avoid the risk of slipping when doing various yoga poses. However, for those who do more fast-paced or rigorous types of yoga, you may need or want to have more traction in your mat. This is where textured yoga mats come in. There are several famous brands and retailers that make their yoga mats with patterns of raised bumps and other textures to provide more traction.

Reversible or 2-in-1 Yoga Mats

Another type of yoga mat that has become increasingly popular is the 2-in-1 yoga mat. A lot of manufacturers offer reversible yoga mats, but this feature mostly refers to dual colors and back-to-back stickiness and slip-resistance. The 2-in-1 yoga mats we’re talking about here, however, are those that combine two different textures in one mat.

For example, there are mats that have the usual stick and grip on one surface, and a slip-resistant microfiber texture on the other. This type of yoga mat is ideal for those who tend to sweat a lot (you can switch to the absorbent microfiber surface when you start to really sweat) and/or do Hot Yoga.

Given the wide variety of choices available for yoga mats today, you won’t have a hard time finding one that suits your needs, tastes, and whims. Make sure you get a mat with the right size and dimensions, has enough grip and stickiness, provides sufficient cushion, and fits your budget just right.

Yoga exercises vary in difficulty and the physical and mental benefits they offer. Some students have no difficulties doing sequences of yoga poses, while some need to be eased into the physical demands of yoga. This is where accessories like yoga blocks come in. These rectangular wedges are used not only as support when [...]]]>

Yoga exercises vary in difficulty and the physical and mental benefits they offer. Some students have no difficulties doing sequences of yoga poses, while some need to be eased into the physical demands of yoga. This is where accessories like yoga blocks come in. These rectangular wedges are used not only as support when doing yoga poses, but also for correcting the body’s alignment and adding variety to your workout. So how exactly do yoga blocks help you with your yoga exercise? 

The Use of Yoga Blocks in Yoga Exercise

The most common use of yoga blocks is for elevation. Meaning, there are certain yoga poses that may be difficult for some students to do especially when they are just starting out with their practice and are not that flexible yet to do yoga exercise properly. A good example of this is for doing the Lotus Pose.  A common problem students encounter when doing the Lotus is that they can’t make their knees touch the yoga mat, which is often due to tightness in the hips and thigh muscles. So what some people do is they sit on yoga blocks to elevate their hips, making it easier to lower the knees down to the  mat.

Yoga blocks are also helpful in adding variety to how you do your yoga exercises. An example is for lunge poses, which work the leg muscles, especially the hamstrings. For the not-so-flexible or for those who haven’t done physical exercise in a while, they can use yoga blocks to alternate between half and full lunges. Yoga blocks can also serve as support for the lower back when doing the Bridge Pose, weight support for sitting and kneeling poses, etc. Examples of other yoga poses where yoga blocks come in handy include the Cobra, Triangle, Seated Twist, Reclined Hero’s Pose, and inversion poses like the headstand and shoulder and head stand.

Dimensions and Composition of Yoga Blocks

You can buy different types of yoga blocks according to dimensions and the materials used in making them. Just like how yoga mats can be made of natural rubber, cotton, PVC, etc., yoga blocks can also be made of dense foam, cork, or wood. Wood like teak and bamboo was most popularly used in the early years of yogic practice, but these wooden blocks can be quite heavy and thus inconvenient in modern day practice, especially for those who travel a lot and practice yoga wherever they go.

Yoga blocks made of dense foam are among the most popular types used today, although many studios and advanced yogis still prefer sturdy wooden varieties. Blocks made of cork are considered as somewhere in between the two; you get close to the level of firmness and sturdiness of wooden blocks but they are not as heavy, and they are also ideal for those who find foam-based yoga blocks too light.

There is no set standard of dimensions for yoga blocks, and this is one factor you should take note of if you’re buying yoga blocks. These yoga accessories are commonly sold in 6 x 9 x 4 or 6 x 9 x 3 inches, although some are sold 1-2 inches shorter or higher. Dimensions are important because you don’t want to end up getting too little support that the yoga blocks end up being not much of a help in doing your yoga exercises, or they might be a tad too high to be used properly for elevation and getting the correct alignment of the body when doing yoga poses. In addition, yoga blocks nowadays come in different colors and designs to meet the needs and taste of every yoga practitioner.

Doing yoga is not just about learning how to do different poses. It’s not just a physical routine or a form of fitness workout because yogic practice also has mental and spiritual elements that bring about positive changes to your overall well-being. Those who do yoga everyday, or have been doing so for a [...]]]>

Doing yoga is not just about learning how to do different poses. It’s not just a physical routine or a form of fitness workout because yogic practice also has mental and spiritual elements that bring about positive changes to your overall well-being. Those who do yoga everyday, or have been doing so for a while now, know that yoga is more of a holistic lifestyle — with the aim of having inner calm and achieving harmony in your mind, body, and soul.

Yoga in Daily Life – How it Works

One of the most popular approaches to incorporate yoga into one’s daily life is the Swamiji system. This system was named after its founder, Swami Maheshwarananda or Mangilal Gargis, and is designed to help people integrate yoga in their daily lives. It is considered by many as a “complete” system — it is used in hospitals to aid in physical therapy, while also covering the traditional and philosophical aspects of the ancient practice of yoga.

This comprehensive, holistic system was developed with the help of therapists, psychologists, doctors, etc. so that it tackles not just the physical aspects of yoga, but also the elements relating to the mind and consciousness. If you want to do yoga for meditation and fitness purposes, the Swamiji system is a good way to integrate the philosophies, tradition, and paths of yoga into how you live your daily life.

Recommended Daily Yoga Poses

Whether you practice yoga in a studio or at home, there will be times when something will come up and disrupt your regular yoga exercise schedule. But just because you can’t stick to your regular full-length sessions doesn’t mean you can’t have yoga in daily life. If you have even just 5 or 10 minutes to spare, you can do yoga exercises to start or end your day with a positive outlook and a healthy mind and body.

Thunderbolt (or Vajrasana)

The Thunderbolt pose or Vajrasana is one of the best meditative poses to start any yoga session. It calms the body and mind so you can focus on your breathing and getting in touch with your inner self. To do this pose, sit on your yoga mat with legs underneath you so that your shins are pressed down on the floor and your buttocks are rested on the soles of your feet.

Let your shoulders drop, keep your neck relaxed, and sit with your back straight. Relax your arms, place your palms on your lap, and breathe deeply in and out. You should now be in a calm and relaxed position to clear your mind, get rid of internal and external distractions, and shut everything out to focus on yourself and your breathing.

The Sun Salutations is ideal for students of all levels, and is a series often used as part of the warm up yoga exercises to prepare for more fast-paced or rigorous styles of yogic practice. The Sun Salutation sequence is composed of 12 poses which should be done in a particular order in order. Doing the Sun Salutation is a good way to start your mornings because its origins lie in the ancient worship of the Hindu sun deity Surya.

On a physical aspect, it is also a good way to start the day because you get proper breathing exercise while doing bends and stretches. The Sun Salutation sequence starts and ends with the Mountain Pose, where you stand tall with your back straight, feet planted on the yoga mat, with hands together in front of you like in a prayer pose. Then you progress to doing backward stretch, the Standing Forward Bend (or Forward Fold), down to a lunge position, Plank Pose, Cobra Pose, and Downward Facing Dog.

From there you do the earlier poses in reverse order, so you go from Downward Dog back to the lunge position, then Forward Fold, and then roll back up and raise your arms and stretch backwards, and now you are back to the Mountain Pose. This full circle method gives good physical and mental exercise to start your day right.

Doing yoga is challenging for first timers not just physically, but also mentally. Due to the amount of stress we experience daily, it’s not always easy to sit still and listen to our breathing without our minds reverting to the worries we face at work and at home. This is why some people prefer [...]]]>

Doing yoga is challenging for first timers not just physically, but also mentally. Due to the amount of stress we experience daily, it’s not always easy to sit still and listen to our breathing without our minds reverting to the worries we face at work and at home. This is why some people prefer to have background music playing while doing yoga — to help clear their minds and feel a sense of peace and calm.

Types of Yoga Music

Choosing between these different types of music would largely depend on your preference and the type of yoga you practice. Some people are able to meditate best when they hear forest sounds and other sounds of nature, while some feel more at peace hearing ambient music or more upbeat sounds. There are several types of sounds used as yoga music, some of which are discussed below.

Sounds of Nature

This is the most common type of yoga music used in studios as well as on instructional DVDs. For many, the sounds of ocean waves, water flow, birds chirping, and other sounds of nature are what helps them calm down and clear their heads of internal and external distractions. This type of yoga music can be used for just about any style of yogic practice, except the vigorous ones like Ashtanga.

If you are doing Vinyasa yoga and are thinking of buying yoga music to inspire you and get you “in the zone,” this type of music is ideal to remind you of the natural energy that flows within your body.

Chants and Mantras

Chants and Sanskrit mantras make for good background yoga music if you are doing meditative styles of yoga. Advanced yogis are commonly schooled and taught yoga by Hindu sages who have mastered the art of yogic practice. These are the ones who live by Sanskrit mantras that reflect Hindu and yoga philosophies. If you are doing yoga for meditative purposes, this type of music will help you learn more about the ancient art through the mantras and inspire you to get in touch with your inner core.

Instrumental Music

If chants, mantras, and harmonious recitation of words prove to be too distracting, then instrumental music may be the perfect audio background for you. As mentioned, your choice of yoga music depends on your preference and what you think works best for you — so you can go for Western instrumental music or go for more ethnic sounds. Some instrumental music genres popularly used as yoga music are chill out, ambient, and lounge music. You can even go for instrumental “shoegaze” music that make use of typical guitars and percussion but with low, steady, and “flowing” beats.

Indian and Ethnic Music

Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India, so it’s natural that some students and yogis would feel most “at home” doing yoga poses with traditional Indian music or Indian-inspired sounds playing. This type of yoga music is usually composed of harmonies of Indian stringed instruments like the sitar, combined with low percussion beats from the tabla.

Ethnic music, or at least those which are commonly used in yogic practice, tend to be quite upbeat. This is why this type of music is usually suited for the more fast-paced styles of yoga like Ashtanga or Power Yoga.

Where to Buy Yoga Music

You don’t have to worry about finding the right yoga music if you are taking yoga classes because most studios provide their own music. But if you are a long-time yoga enthusiast and bring your yoga practice with you wherever you go, you may want to look into buying yoga music to inspire you and help you center your thoughts as you do different yoga poses.

You can buy yoga music at physical record stores or online, where you can browse through countless catalogues of yoga and meditation music. You can even buy compilation CDs with tracks that are specifically designed for certain styles of yogic practice.

Just like everything else, learning yoga on your own also has its perks and downsides. Obviously, it’s cheaper to buy yoga videos and DVDs instead of paying for yoga classes and spending gas money to get to the studio. Another benefit of DIY-style yoga learning is the convenience of working out at a comfortable [...]]]>

Just like everything else, learning yoga on your own also has its perks and downsides. Obviously, it’s cheaper to buy yoga videos and DVDs instead of paying for yoga classes and spending gas money to get to the studio. Another benefit of DIY-style yoga learning is the convenience of working out at a comfortable environment, AND you can do yoga whenever you choose. However, you also miss out on the guidance of an instructor and personal instruction when you have difficulty doing certain poses.

If you’re decided on learning the practice of yoga, including its philosophies and the different yoga poses, here is a quick guide on the basic categorizations of the types of yoga videos you will find on the market today.

Levels of Difficulty

This is the most common and most popular way that people choose their yoga videos and workout DVDs. Most people who buy yoga videos are beginners who are keen to try yoga but don’t have the time or resources, or don’t want to invest too much because they just want to “give it a try.” Most yoga videos are geared toward this market, and these instructional DVDs typically cover the basic breathing exercises, simple meditation sequences, and basic yoga poses like the Sun Salutations.

Yoga videos for intermediate to advanced users tend to be more specialized, in that some of these types of videos skip through what is considered as the basics and go straight to giving step by step instructions on how to do the more complex yoga exercises.

Style of Practice

With the exception of Hot Yoga, there are yoga videos you will find that can teach you the different styles of yogic practice. If you want to do yoga for weight loss and prefer the more fitness-based and fast-paced styles, you can look for Ashtanga yoga or Power Yoga videos. Instructional yoga videos and DVDs are also available for Hatha yoga, which focuses on teaching effective breathing exercises as well as yoga poses and stretches.

Vinyasa yoga is perhaps one of the easier styles of yogic practice to learn on your own because it has less to do with making sure your body alignment and angles are correct than it is about those periods of transition between poses. With Vinyasa yoga videos, you will learn to synchronize your movements with breath so expect to do and learn a lot of yoga poses. Vinyasa yoga videos may not be the best choice for those who want to do yoga for increased flexibility through stretching exercises because the focus is more on learning fluid transitional movements between poses with every inhale or exhale.

Specific Goals and/or Target Areas

Yoga has evolved into different styles to make this ancient practice easily adaptable to Western and modern day students. While a lot of people get into yoga for mental and spiritual purposes, more are interested in doing yoga for physical fitness or weight loss purposes. This is why nowadays you will see a lot of yoga videos and DVDs that teach poses that focus on working, say, the thighs, hips, and stomach. You can find yoga videos that focus on toning arm and/or leg muscles, increasing flexibility, relieving back pain, stress management, strengthening the joints, etc.

Specific Demographic

The best examples of yoga videos that cater to a specific demographic are those that teach yoga poses and exercises for women who are pregnant or going through menopause. Like yoga DVDs classified by the specific goals, these videos that cater to a specific demographic teach yoga poses that do not necessarily follow a single school or style of yogic practice. Rather, the poses taught are a compilation of yoga exercises that are known to be beneficial to the types of individuals the videos are designed for. For example, prenatal yoga videos will teach poses that open up the hips, strengthen joints, and relieve back pain because these are the common problems that pregnant women encounter.

In addition to the countless physical and mental benefits of yoga, another reason this ancient practice remains popular among men is that it has a no-fuss approach to keeping the body physically fit. No need to buy weights or any fitness machines, unlike with other fitness workouts. Yoga continually grows in popularity among [...]]]>

In addition to the countless physical and mental benefits of yoga, another reason this ancient practice remains popular among men is that it has a no-fuss approach to keeping the body physically fit. No need to buy weights or any fitness machines, unlike with other fitness workouts. Yoga continually grows in popularity among men; so much so that there are now many stores that specialize in men’s yoga clothing. Here are some tips and information on buying yoga clothes for men.

Yoga Tops: Shirts and Tanks

Women generally have more options when it comes to clothes, but the styles and designs offered for men’s yoga clothes are not that far off. Hundreds of stores, both retail and online, offer a wide variety of options for yoga clothing tops for men. Sleeveless tops or tanks are the most popular choices for clothing tops because they are comfortable and airy, thus helping you cool down faster as you progress through your yoga workout. Tanks also allow a wide range of movement for your arms and torso, making it easier to bend and twist your way through different yoga poses.

But for those who are not that comfortable wearing sleeveless tops, or tend to sweat a lot, you can always go for slightly loose cotton shirts which do a great job at absorbing sweat. Men tend to sweat more than women, so sweat absorption capacity is an important factor to consider when buying yoga clothes. Yoga mats are typically sticky and slip-resistant, but there is still a possibility of slipping if your non-textured yoga mat is covered in sweat.

Yoga Bottoms: Shorts and Pants

It all boils down to preference and comfort when it comes to shopping for yoga clothing bottoms. Some men prefer to wear shorts because it’s cooler (as in physically, not fashionably) and more comfortable to wear especially if they are doing Hot Yoga or vigorous styles of yoga exercise like Ashtanga or Power Yoga. If you prefer wearing shorts, get those that not only can absorb sweat, but also has enough stretch in them so your leg movements are not restricted.

Another option is to go for yoga pants, which come in different styles and composition. There are yoga pants made of cotton, a combination of lycra and cotton, and hemp. Long and loose pants made of hemp are more recommended for intermediate to advanced users, who have already gotten the hang of transitioning quickly between poses without risking tripping over loose cloth. Wide-legged pants would also make it harder for your instructor to check your body’s alignment especially if you are just starting to learn yoga.

If you are not comfortable wearing shorts, but also don’t want to wear long pants, you can always go for something in between — and that is cropped or capri-style yoga pants. Cropped pants made of cotton or hemp are among the most popular choices and are ideal for yoga students of all levels.

Tips and Recommendations

The only difference between your typical workout clothes (say, for lifting weights at the gym or running) and yoga clothes is that the latter requires more freedom in movement and stretch in the material. Yoga poses involve a lot of bending, stretching, and twisting, so you have to choose clothes made of material that will let you do all this. They also have to be comfortable enough that you can sit through meditation sequences.

So in a nutshell, your choices of yoga clothes should be comfortable, stretchable, sweat-absorbent, and neither too loose nor too tight. Even if you have a bigger body frame, this is no excuse to wear baggy clothes when doing yoga exercises. Men’s yoga clothes come in a wide range of sizes, including plus size, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find workout threads that will fit just right.

Having a plethora of choices for yoga clothes can be a blessing or a curse to women. On one hand, you have practically unlimited options in terms of style and design, so it’s impossible not to find yoga clothes that suit you perfectly. But on the other hand, having more options to choose from [...]]]>

Having a plethora of choices for yoga clothes can be a blessing or a curse to women. On one hand, you have practically unlimited options in terms of style and design, so it’s impossible not to find yoga clothes that suit you perfectly. But on the other hand, having more options to choose from can also make shopping for yoga clothes a bit trickier. So just in case you’re having this same dilemma, here are our recommendations and tips to help you find the perfect yoga clothes.

Yoga Tops: Shirts, Tank Tops, and Midriff Tanks

Among these three types of clothing tops, it’s the midriff tanks or workout crop tops that are the least popular among women. Most women prefer still prefer to wear shirts and tank tops to their yoga classes. However, these workout midriff tops are recommended if you are doing Hot Yoga, where students are encouraged (but not required) to wear minimal clothing. For those who don’t know, Hot Yoga is a style of yogic practice that involves doing yoga exercises in a heated room.

So in addition to feeling the burn in your muscles, the warm external environment makes you sweat more and adds to your body heat. Minimal yoga clothing is advisable so heat can easily escape the body and let you cool down faster. A combination of cotton and lycra is still the best material for yoga tops because cotton effectively absorbs sweat, and the lycra provides the needed stretch in the material to allow unrestricted movement in doing yoga poses.

Between shirts and tank tops, the latter is a better choice for wider range of movement and ease with which the instructor can check the alignment of your upper body. Tops that have built-in padding or cups are also popular because bras can make you feel restricted and limit your movements.

Yoga Bottoms: Pants, Shorts, Skirts

If we are simply going by popularity, yoga pants hands-down wins when it comes to choosing yoga bottoms. However, it’s comfort and fit that will always rank highest in the list of factors to consider when shopping for yoga clothes. All three types are objectively comfortable to wear and are stretchable enough to allow you to do various yoga exercises, so it all boils down to your preference and which you are most comfortable wearing. The typical skirts worn for yoga are actually technically called “skorts” because they’re a combination of skirt and shorts.

There are different types of yoga pants to choose from: long, cropped (or capri), loose, tight, made of cotton and lycra or hemp, etc. For beginners, it’s better to go with tight-fitting cropped pants because it’s easier to check your leg angles and you eliminate the risk of tripping over loose leg bottoms when doing fast-paced styles of yoga exercise. As for shorts, women can choose between regular length ones and the micro shorts, which are typically body-hugging and fall just a couple inches below the butt.

Again, your choice of yoga bottoms will rely on what is most comfortable for you because you can find all three types made of the same stretchable and sweat-absorbent material. For Hot Yoga, we recommend shorts or micro shorts. For fast-paced styles of yoga like Ashtanga or Power Yoga, cropped pants, long straight-cut pants, shorts, or skirts are more ideal for beginners.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of retail and online stores that sell yoga clothing for women. If you don’t have the time and/or energy to shop in retail stores, buying yoga clothes online is an excellent option. And because good yoga clothes are typically made of sweat-absorbent and stretchable material, you don’t have to worry about whether they will fit you just right. Aside from different colors and designs, yoga clothes for women are also available in a wide range of sizes – including plus sizes – so you won’t have a hard time finding the ideal yoga clothes that fit you to a T.

While yoga has no special demands in terms of equipment or machines to practice it, you DO need to have the right workout clothes to do the bends, twists, and stretches of yoga exercises. This means your old gym sweats and basketball shorts won’t do. You need to get yoga pants that are made [...]]]>

While yoga has no special demands in terms of equipment or machines to practice it, you DO need to have the right workout clothes to do the bends, twists, and stretches of yoga exercises. This means your old gym sweats and basketball shorts won’t do. You need to get yoga pants that are made of stretchable and sweat-absorbent material so you can move freely and angle your body in different ways to hold yoga poses.

Types of Yoga Pants for Men

Yoga pants differ in style, make, and design. There are yoga pants made of pure cotton, which are perfect for absorbing sweat and keeping you dry, but you have to make sure they also have enough stretch in the material to allow wide range of movement. Yoga pants made of hemp are also popular among men, because the material is lightweight, breathable, and absorbs sweat quickly. However, hemp pants may not be suitable for some beginners who are studying fast-paced styles of yoga. This is especially if the leg bottoms are a bit too wide and can interfere with movement when you have to switch between different poses quickly.

If you find yourself having trouble with footwork and leg angles, cropped yoga pants may be the most suitable style for you. Cropped yoga pants make it easier for your yoga teacher to see if your feet and knees are in proper alignment in doing yoga poses. Hemp-based yoga pants with drawstring waistbands are popular among intermediate to advanced male yogis, and can be the best type of yoga pants to wear if you’re having your yoga exercise sessions outdoors. Hemp pants are easily the best choice for yoga exercise during the summer because it’s more airy and lightweight compared to cotton-based yoga pants.

What to Look For In Yoga Pants

The two most important factors to consider when shopping for yoga pants are comfort and fit. By comfort, we mean the material used is breathable enough to cool you down when you start sweating, and is soft and stretchable enough so you will have unrestricted movement in your lower body. Men tend to sweat more than women, so your yoga pants should also be lightweight and not drag you down when you start to sweat through the fabric.

While most yoga pants for men are stretchable, and would fit different body frames, how the pants fit and cling to the body is still important because this can affect your range and ease of movement. Try to steer clear of yoga pants with leg bottoms that are too wide because the loose cloth can be a pain to deal with when doing yoga poses. You might step on the loose pant legs when switching from seated to standing poses, and they will slide down when you do inversion poses.

Buying Yoga Pants for Men Online

The best thing about yoga pants is that they have stretchable or adjustable (as with drawstrings) waistbands, so you don’t have to worry about finding a pair that will fit the waist snugly. If you don’t have the time to go to sports wear stores and browse through racks, you can just buy your yoga pants online from hundreds of online retailers that specialize in yoga apparel. Reading through customer reviews online will give you an idea of some of the popular brands and names that long-time yoga practitioners trust, then you can check their online catalogs if they have offerings that suit your needs and taste.

Now that you have your yoga pants shopping out of the way, all you need now is to find a good yoga mat that will withstand the hundreds of yoga poses you’ll be doing. And once you have your yoga clothes and yoga mats, you are all set to take your first class (or learn at home using instructional DVDs) and start reaping the many physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga.

Women know too well how elusive that perfect pair of jeans can be. Luckily, this does not apply when it comes to shopping for the best yoga pants for women. Women, both young and old, have fallen in love with yoga pants because they’re very comfortable to wear AND they make you look good. [...]]]>

Women know too well how elusive that perfect pair of jeans can be. Luckily, this does not apply when it comes to shopping for the best yoga pants for women. Women, both young and old, have fallen in love with yoga pants because they’re very comfortable to wear AND they make you look good. Here is the low down on yoga pants if you’re curious to join the bandwagon and get your own perfectly comfortable pair.

Different Styles and Types of Yoga Pants

Yoga pants come in different styles, lengths, colors, and designs. You have probably noticed that a lot of non-workout clothing lines now also offer yoga pants because they have gotten so popular among women. But if you’re shopping for yoga pants for doing actual yoga, you should know the different types and styles they come in and how they can affect how you do your yoga exercises.

Long Yoga Pants

Some people still get confused between yoga pants and leggings. While leggings technically ARE as long as pants, and can have enough stretch in them to be used for doing yoga exercises, these two are still classified differently. Long yoga pants almost exclusively refers to the long, slightly loose pants made of a combination of cotton and lycra. The difference between your typical tights that you use for running and working out at the gym and yoga pants is the amount of stretch in the material.

You can wear yoga pants for doing other forms of fitness workouts, but you can’t use just any workout pants for doing yoga because they might not be stretchable enough to let you do different yoga poses. Long yoga pants can be straight-cut or have slightly wide leg bottoms. For beginners, we recommend straight-cut yoga pants to minimize the risk of tripping over loose cloth when moving quickly through different yoga poses.

Capri-Style or Cropped Yoga Pants

Choosing between capri-style or cropped yoga pants and long yoga pants is primarily a matter of preference. Some women like it short, while some are more comfortable with long pants. Either way, the requirements for material used remains the same — the yoga pants you choose should be able to hold and/or absorb sweat, and should be stretchable enough to allow unrestricted leg and hip movement.

Cropped yoga pants are ideal for those taking a beginner’s yoga class so the instructor can easily see and monitor if your legs and hips are in proper alignment when you hold poses. Those who are doing Hot Yoga may also prefer cropped yoga pants over long ones simply because they want to cool down faster.

Maternity Yoga Pants

The only difference between maternity yoga pants and regular yoga pants for women is the waistband elasticity. Naturally, those who have a bun in the oven would need more room for their tummies. Some maternity yoga pants are made with foldable waistbands, which are ideal if you plan on doing yoga until your last trimester. With this type of yoga pants, you can wear your yoga pants higher so that most of your tummy will have cover and support.

There are also maternity yoga pants with a fixed length, but with an elastic waistband that can accommodate your growing tummy. There are also maternity yoga pants with a special stitching on the area right below the waist for those who might need extra support to do yoga exercises.

It’s undeniable that yoga pants have become wildly popular because they make the thighs and butt look good. But if you’re serious about doing yoga, comfort should still, and always, be your primary consideration when shopping for yoga pants. Your efforts of looking good at the yoga studio will be useless if you can’t even do a Triangle Pose or a Seated Forward Bend without flinching in discomfort in your yoga pants.

Yoga poses can be categorized in several ways; according to difficulty, type (seated, standing, etc.), benefits, etc. The most popular yoga exercise is probably the Lotus Pose, because its use is not limited to yogic practice, but also for meditation exercises in general. To give you an idea of how simple or complex yoga [...]]]>

Yoga poses can be categorized in several ways; according to difficulty, type (seated, standing, etc.), benefits, etc. The most popular yoga exercise is probably the Lotus Pose, because its use is not limited to yogic practice, but also for meditation exercises in general. To give you an idea of how simple or complex yoga exercises can be, here are some of the more popular yoga poses performed by beginners and the intermediate to advanced yogis.

Downward Facing Dog

This pose is a favorite among students of all levels because it’s relatively easy to do but can still be physically challenging and rewarding. It builds upper body strength and stretches the hamstrings and the muscles in the calves, legs, and back.

To do the Downward Facing Dog, start on all fours with your knees hip-width apart and then slowly lift your knees off the ground. Walk the hands forward until your body is angled at a comfortable position with your legs straight and feet flat on the yoga mat. Remember to keep your back and legs straight while you hold this pose. When you reach the end position, your body should resemble an upside down V.

Head to Knee Forward Bend

Also called Janu Sirsasana, this pose is classified as a bend and twist yoga exercise and is recommended for students of all levels. This pose is known to help relieve headaches, back pain, and menstrual cramps by stretching the spine and hamstrings, and engaging the muscles in your back and shoulders.

To do this pose, sit with one leg outstretched in front of you and the other folded inwards, bringing the sole close to the groin. Then bend over your outstretched leg and bring your forehead as close to the knee as possible. If you can, reach your arms forward while bent low and cradle your foot with your hands. If you experience discomfort from bending too low, you can use an exercise band to connect your hands to your foot.

Supported Shoulder Stand

This yoga exercise is one of the easier inversion poses you can do, and can be performed even by beginner students but preferably with guidance. For those who don’t know, inversion poses are simply defines as yoga exercises where the feet are positioned higher than the head. The Supported Shoulder Stand stretches the muscles in the neck and shoulders, firms the glutes, tones the legs, and helps stimulate prostate glands.

To do the Supported Shoulder Stand, start by lying on your back and then lift your legs up and off the floor. Place your hands on your lower back to provide support and that extra push to lift your legs and torso off the floor until all your weight falls on your shoulders. For beginners, you can also try doing this pose first with your legs against the wall, so you can ease into the difficulty of the pose.

Crane Pose

This is one of the more complex yoga exercises suited for intermediate to advanced students. The Crane Pose targets and engages the core muscles while building muscle strength in the arms and legs as well. This pose is also known to open up the hips and stretch that back. The Crane Pose is often classified as an arm balancing pose because it involves lifting your body off the ground, with all your weight supported only by the arms.

To do the Crane Pose, start on a squatting position with your knees a little over hip-width distance. Then place your hands flat on the yoga mat and using your arms for support, lift your body off the ground, with your elbows bent and your inner thighs pressing against the sides of your torso. For the more advanced students, you can try bending your elbows a bit further so that your upper arms are touching your shins. Breathe deeply in and out while holding this pose.