1. Home
  2. Wellness

BlissMark may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

What essentials do you need for your yoga practice?

By Dawn Miller

Yoga has been around for 5,000 years. Yoga was originally a spiritual journey focusing on the mind and body. It still is, but today yoga is practiced by many for a variety of reasons. Some come to the yoga mat as a way to lose weight or get in shape. Others begin practicing yoga as a way to manage stress, anxiety, or depression. Many take up the discipline to help with overall health issues like arthritis and back problems. Yoga may not seem to be high energy like some forms of physical exercise, but it does challenge the body and the mind. As you prepare to embark on your yoga journey, what essentials do you need?

A yoga mat is an extremely important piece of equipment. Yoga is practiced in bare feet, which is why a mat is important. With a yoga mat in tow, you can practice inside or outside. The NewMe Fitness Yoga mat is a perfect pick for any yoga journey. It’s extra thick and even has 70 yoga poses printed on it to get you started. The yoga mat’s design helps prevent slipping, allowing participants to hold a specific pose. It also provides a cushion between your body and the surface beneath you while offering insulation.
$31 from Amazon $31 from Walmart

If you prefer a mat that can do double duty, try Netrino’s Stretching and mobility mat. It features a no-slip design and can be used for yoga, pilates, floor workouts, and even foam rolling. Just like a yoga mat, it provides cushioning. insulation, and can travel with you.
$38 from Amazon

Even seasoned yogis use yoga blocks. So, using one is not cheating. URBN Fit Yoga Blocks are ideal for the yogi on the go and this set of two blocks is great for novices who may need accessibility assistance with certain poses. These yoga blocks are moisture repellent and won’t slip even when you’re doing hot yoga.
$13 from Amazon $13 from Walmart

URBN Fit Yoga Block are available in singles too. The teal yoga block is fashioned from environmentally-friendly materials and is a perfect pick when you need additional support or just want to make certain poses more challenging. It’s moisture repellent and won’t slide. This URBN Fit Yoga Block is compact enough for travel too.
$14 from Amazon $14 from Walmart

Another option for a single yoga block is URBN Fit’s purple yoga block. Like URBN Fit’s other yoga block, this model is moisture resistant and easy to clean. Just wipe with a damp cloth and allow to air dry. Namaste.
$13 from Amazon $14 from Walmart

Recommended Videos

Yoga has certainly endured the ages. It remains a spiritual journey of mind and body. Today yoga is much more. Yoga increases flexibility, mobility, and muscle tone. It’s a full-body workout even professional athletes use to help improve performance on the playing field and protect from injury. If you’re looking for a physical fitness program to lose weight and improve your overall health, yoga is an excellent choice. Unlike some exercise regimes, yoga is relatively low maintenance. All you really need is a mat. Add in yoga blocks as needed to suit your practice.

Editors' Recommendations

Dawn Miller
Contributor
Dawn Miller began her professional life as an elementary school teacher before returning to her first love, writing. In…
5 ways to entertain your kids all summer long

Summer—with its promise of long, lazy days spent basking in the sun—brings challenges that are considerably less relaxing for parents of young children. With kids home from school, and away from the structure of classrooms, keeping little minds and hands properly engaged and active is likely to be a summer-long quest for any parent.

Which is why it's not too early to start preparing for the warm days ahead by investing in games and products that encourage kids to put their devices away and turn the TV off. Make summer a fun and memorable time for toddlers and tweens alike with innovative ideas—like those we've featured, below—for keeping growing bodies moving, and developing minds thinking.

Read more
Equip your home office with these wellness tools

Even working out of your own home, your day to day is typically very similar to working in an office setting. You spend long hours sitting, looking at a computer screen, and trying (and often failing) to maintain good posture while focusing on the tasks at hand. Luckily, we’ve put together this list of five great wellness products to equip your home office with, ensuring that you’ll have everything you need to relax and ease the aches and pains of work right within your reach. Set yourself up for success by stocking your space with tools that help you take care of you.

>

Read more
Essential kitchen tools to elevate mealtime

Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a beginner cooking for the first time, you’ll want to make sure that your food is prepared properly. This means using quality ingredients and having the essential tools to help you make the most of your time in the kitchen. Having the right equipment can help you prepare meals that are both delicious and nutritious. In this article, we’ve gathered together a list of our top picks for the best kitchen tools to elevate mealtime.

So without any further ado, let's get started. Here are our recommendations.

Read more