Yoga has become one of the most popular forms of fitness training around the world over the last few years, and for good reason. Yoga provides a multitude of health benefits that many people don’t even consider, from easing chronic joint and muscle pain to relieving mental health issues like anxiety and stress.

Yoga, from the outside, may look like an inaccessible form of training because to do it many people assume that you need to find a nearby yoga studio (of which there truly aren’t too many) and sign up for a specific type of yoga class, even though most people know nothing about the “sport”. This is all a fallacy, and doing yoga in the modern era is easier than ever – just look up a free yoga class online and you’re good to go! But first, you’ll need some of the following yoga gear…

5mm Yoga Mat

Before you even attempt getting into a low-intensity or high-intensity yoga class, you’re going to need a mat to practice your stretches and flows on. Many people underestimate how challenging and painful yoga can be if you’re not using the right type of mat or the right type of gear.

In general, you’ll want to buy a relatively firm but thin mat, as they are much easier to perform manoeuvres on and much less demanding on your wrists and knees. Brands like Lifeform, Mocana and Lululemon are all good, although you may need to win a bit playing online bingo as they don’t always come cheap. They are however an investment in your practice.

The standard size for a yoga mat is around 5mm, and that will provide you with more than enough room to perform advanced yoga techniques and flows.

Specialized Yoga Towel

Many people do not realize how intensive of a workout yoga can be, even in lower-intensity classes. Most of the time, if you’re a beginner, you’re going to be placing your body in positions that are uncomfortable.

More often than not, you’re also going to have to hold these positions, which can be ultra-challenging if you’ve never engaged in any type of yoga practice before. You’re going to be sweating, wiggling, and losing your balance a lot.

Specialized yoga towels have built-in silicone nubs on the underside in order to help you keep your grip when engaging in poses that may challenge your balance, Normally, you’ll place this towel above your mat, not only grip, but also to stop sweat from dripping onto, and ruining, your mat during the session.

Foam Yoga Block

Lastly, if you’re a beginner, you’re going to want to purchase yourself a foam yoga block that you can use to help with your poses during each yoga session.

Now, these blocks aren’t only for beginners, many enthusiasts and professionals use yoga blocks in their high-intensity classes. They are just especially helpful for beginners when attempting to keep good posture, hold floor-related positions well, and generally stay within the flow of the session.

Most of these foam blocks are made from recycled plastics, especially if you’re buying from a sustainable source!