Benefits of Yoga Mats and Bags

« « Hoodia Weight Loss Supplements Whats The Big Secret | Tips On Natural Remedy For Yeast Infections » »

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

If you’ve ever tried to practice yoga without a mat, then you have already discovered how crucial a mat is to executing your poses safely and properly. But, before we discuss this most essential of yoga “props,” as well as discuss yoga mat bags, let’s talk a little about Yoga, itself.

The Benefits of Yoga

Yoga assists you in awakening your inner body and enlivening your outer body! As you unburden your mind to give your undivided attention to each pose, you stimulate your “inner body” awareness of the present moment. A committed yoga practice awakens, energizes, and strengthens the structure and flow of the body. The goal of yoga practice is to create a union between the body, mind and spirit.

If you would like to master a yoga pose, you will it will involve extraordinary patience, plus time and dedication. A beginner should not give up if they don’t do a pose precisely on the first try. But, slowly over time, as you practice and attempt to perform each pose flawlessly, without pushing yourself too far physically or beating yourself up mentally, you will discover that you are developing flexibility, strength, and energy physically and feeling more peaceful and clear mentally.

The best environment for doing your practice is a fresh, quiet place with a bare floor and available wall. Remove any distractions from your yoga environment. Ideally, you should not eat for at least 2 hours before practicing. If this is not possible, then try to eat something light, such as a piece of fruit, but no more than 1 hour before you start your yoga practice.

If you should encounter pain or discomfort as you try a pose, pause or stop, then try again with more mindful movement.

Yoga props and yoga accessories, such as yoga mats, yoga bolsters, yoga straps, yoga blocks, yoga mat bags, and even yoga towels are designed to help you in moving deeper into a pose, in performing an impeccable pose, and in practicing in a wholesome way.

High on the list of the many benefits of using yoga props is that most are meant to help relieve any pain or discomfort you may experience while you are perfectly a yoga pose.

Yoga props also aid in the prevention of injury when you are sometimes tempted to push too hard to “get it right.”

Doing yoga releases tightness, and using props helps with stress relief by offering the support you require to relax (but not be lazy) in your practice.

The plumb line, that is, “head-over-heels” body alignment, is crucial in doing yoga poses accurately. Yoga props help you maintain appropriate alignment.

Yoga props assist in augmenting movement. When your joints move with ease, instead of “rubbing you the wrong way,” your yoga poses are more fluid. Certain props actually open space in the joints.

And, finally, we’re back to one of the extraordinary benefits of yoga, i.e., the development of awareness and understanding. When you are free to focus on doing your yoga poses correctly, rather than worrying about any limitations you might currently have, you are more able to experience the deeper gifts of a regular yoga practice. Yoga props can help in removing any limitations to your doing flawless yoga poses.

Yoga Mats

There are many benefits to using the slender, rectangular (often rubber) mat, known as a yoga mat, or a sticky mat. First and foremost, as you move into various yoga poses, a yoga mat keeps you from sliding. It offers a stable, non-slip surface for your practice.

It is also made of a composition that gives it the “perfect” texture, the one Baby Bear would use if he practiced yoga. A surface that is too soft, e.g., a carpet, would make balancing and position yourself very difficult. On the other hand, some poses would be too uncomfortable for your hands, knees, and feet if you made an effort to practice them on a hard surface, such as a hardwood floor.

You will find that, in addition to providing stability as you practice, a yoga mat provides protection from cool floors. Almost all yoga mats are made of non-latex or natural rubber that is both lightweight and durable. There are yoga mats available, however, that are more eco-friendly. Specifically, there is a new “environmentally friendly” yoga mat made of PER (Polymer Environmental Resin), a fabric that is accredited with being more “sensitive” to the environment and your health than rubber yoga mats. This particularly mat doesn’t contain phthalates or heavy metals, and its manner of production is said to be totally non-toxic. However, if being “super” green is your thing, there is a rubber and cotton mesh mat available that comes directly from a “tapped” tree that keeps on living.

Yoga Mat Bags

Yoga mat bags aid in protecting your mat and yoga accessories, and make transporting them more convenient. There is a small yoga mat bag, sized only slightly larger than your mat, that is absolutely perfect if you carry just a few things with you to your yoga class. But, if you’re a person who just has to “take it all” with you, there are roomy, duffel-style mat bags that will hold extra supplies like yoga blocks, towels, water bottles, extra clothing, etc.

Want to make your own yoga bag and choose a unique material? If so, there are lots of fine online resources to help you. Off the rack yoga mat bags are more often than not produced from nylon, cotton, organic cotton, or hemp.

Like this post? Publish It On Your Own Blog