Are you interested in learning about yoga? You may have seen yoga studios popping up in your town or you may have seen yoga DVDs at the store and wondered how to begin practicing yoga. If so, this yoga buying guide is for you. With tips on buying yoga equipment and clothing, you'll know how to successfully begin your yoga practice.
Part fitness and part meditation, yoga is an ancient Eastern Indian practice rooted in spiritualism. Using positions that involve stretching and concentration, a yoga workout helps you strengthen your body and your mind. In fact, the word "yoga" is Sanskrit for "union," and the poses and breathing are meant to unite the functions of your body and your mind.
The type of yoga usually done in the West is "asana," but in the Eastern tradition, asana is just one part--known as one "limb"--of yoga. The other limbs incorporate meditation, lifestyle and morality choices, development of control over the senses and achievement of bliss. If that sounds like more than you want to get into at first, you don't need to worry. You can focus your yoga practice on any facet of yoga that appeals to you, and you can always add more to your practice as you want.
There are many different types of yoga, from slow, stretching styles to serious workouts that rival any aerobics class. There are yoga styles that focus on developing your spiritual side and yoga styles that teach you to bend and twist yourself into knots. Starting with a class or yoga DVD that covers basic movements at a slow pace can be an excellent way to learn more about how you'll want to do yoga.
Developing your spiritual side and achieving bliss may be your goals, but even if they aren't, there are many other incredible benefits of doing yoga:
Although there are many pieces of fitness equipment you can buy for yoga, you only need a few to get started since your yoga workout relies almost completely on your own body.
Yoga clothing
Because of the movements you'll be doing in yoga, comfortable clothing is essential. Yoga clothing includes:
Yoga is performed barefoot, so you won't need any shoes.
Yoga mat
After your clothing, your yoga mat is the most important piece of equipment. You can often rent a yoga mat at a yoga studio, but having your own will save you money and can be more sanitary. Also, if you plan on doing yoga at home, you'll want to have your own yoga mat there.
Yoga mats, also known as sticky mats, increase the stability of your workout, which you'll be grateful for as you learn to balance in new ways. Made of a thin material, yoga mats are more about helping your feet stay in place than giving you padding from the floor. Yoga mats are usually about 24 inches wide and 68 inches long, but if you're tall, you may want to look for a larger yoga mat. You'll find them up to about 72 inches long.
Yoga mats are often made of a synthetic material, which provides great traction, and are usually machine washable. Your yoga mat may need to be broken in to have the grip you need; washing it once or twice should do it. Yoga mats made from natural materials, like jute, are also available, and these may be a bit more expensive.
If you'll be taking your yoga mat to a yoga studio, you may want a yoga mat carrier. These can be as simple as a strap that wraps around the yoga mat and has a handle, or it can be a bag for the yoga mat with other compartments for your car keys and a water bottle.
Other yoga equipment
If you are new to yoga, you may want a few more pieces of yoga equipment to help you do the positions properly.
Yoga ball: Also known as a stability ball, a yoga ball can be used for seated yoga poses as you develop your balance. Yoga balls come in a few sizes, and you'll choose yours based on your height:
Yoga block: For yoga poses where you need to reach your hand to the floor, but you just can't quite reach, use a yoga block. Yoga blocks give you a sturdy spot to place your hand until you are flexible enough to reach all the way to the floor.
Yoga straps or belts: A few yoga positions require you to grab your feet or link your hands behind your back. If you aren't flexible enough to stretch like that yet, use yoga straps, also known as yoga belts. Use the yoga straps until your body has become accustomed to your new yoga practice.
A water bottle: It's important to drink plenty of water before, during and after a yoga class. A yoga studio may provide water bottles, but bringing your own refillable water bottle will reduce waste and may save you money. You'll want to have a water bottle when you're doing yoga at home as well.
Eye pillow: The final relaxation part of a yoga routine is called "Savasana," and you may want to bring your own eye pillows to a class for this. Using an eye pillow at home can help you to relax there, too. Filled with calming herbs, an aromatic eye pillow has a bit of weight, so when it is resting over your eyes while you recline on your yoga mat, you can't help but close your eyes and relax.
A yoga kit may include a few of these pieces, making it even easier for you to get started.
When you take a yoga class, you'll have a teacher there to show you the correct way to do the positions and to give you a good order in which to do them. A class can be helpful to keep you motivated to continue your yoga practice, too. Before you commit to one class by buying a set of passes, try out a few. With so many different types of yoga and so many different yoga instructors, you'll want to find what suits you best.
If you'd rather try yoga at home, look for a yoga DVD or yoga video. You can shop for a yoga DVD that addresses your concerns, like relaxation or muscle strengthening. Also, a yoga DVD or video can be a more economical choice than a class, especially when you shop for yoga DVDs on Overstock.com.
Will I lose weight by doing yoga?
Because you use your muscles so much in yoga, you will build them, and strong muscles are proven to help lead to some weight loss. If weight loss is your main fitness and exercise goal, look for a class or a yoga DVD that will help you reach that goal. Ashtanga yoga features a rapid progression of yoga poses, so the workout turns can be very athletic. Power yoga can be more of a cardiovascular workout, or you may want to try Bikram yoga, also known as "hot yoga." Hot yoga is done in a room with the heat turned up high, so you'll be really working your muscles, sweating out toxins and helping your body flush out fat. You may see yoga DVDs or classes with names that mention fat burning; you'll want to look into those.
Can kids do yoga?
Yoga can be an excellent way for kids to get active and start a lifetime of fitness. The skills they learn in yoga can help them with many things, including concentration, stress management, patience and discipline. Kids love trying the yoga poses, and they're often very flexible because they probably haven't developed bad posture habits yet. Let them try the poses along with you at home, or look for yoga classes held just for kids, which are becoming more and more popular.
Relax with yoga
Meditation and yoga go perfectly together, and if you need your yoga routine to help you de-stress, be sure to include meditation. The health and beauty store on Overstock.com has the products that will help you create a spot to meditate and search for inner peace. We can't promise you'll find nirvana, but we can promise you'll find discount prices!
A part of your fitness routine
If you like to mix up your workouts, you may want to try playing sports in addition to doing yoga. With all of the sports equipment to choose from on Overstock.com, you'll never find yourself in a fitness rut! From bicycles to camping equipment and from golf clubs to home gyms, Overstock.com has it all. With discounts of up to 70 percent off retail prices and our low, flat shipping rate, you'll want to make Overstock.com your online outlet for all your sports and fitness needs.
