My all time favorite yoga mat, is by far the Lululemon mat!
I still remember the first times I practiced with a Lululemon mat, was the day my practice totally changed, mostly because I didn’t think about my mat the entire class, not even once. I had practiced with many other mats before this, and I was always slipping or sliding or adjusting my mat (or my towel on top of my mat) in some way. But with my new Lululemon mat, I didn’t have to think about my mat once, instead I was focused on my practice.My fingers gripped the mat, no towel necessary (Lululemon mats absorb a ton of moisture, they are anti- , and you can spot clean your Lululemon mat with Baking Soda and Lemon Juice), and my mat didn’t slip or slid around on the floor once – there is this weird thing where I am distracted if my mat is not perfectly straight – anyone else??). I realize that these mats are an investment, between $78-$88, they are certainly not cheap ‘TJMaxx’ yoga mats –which is where I used to purchase my mats, but they wore out quickly and I had to replace them very often – and as mentioned before, they distracted me constantly and I am pretty sure that funny smell was toxic. These Lululemon mats are built to last, doing yoga everyday, I usually replace my mat once per year, but could probably stretch it out even more than that, and if you don’t practice everyday, you could probably stretch it out even more than that! So in the long run I am actually spending less on my Lululemon mat than I was on monthly replacements of the ‘cheap’ mats. I also put the Lululemon mat on my Christmas list each year and that takes care of that J
I am also excited to see that Lululemon has released a new eco-friendly version of their most beloved mat, it is made with natural rubber material that is sustainably sourced and FSC™ (Forest Stewardship Council™)certified to support the protection of forest ecosystems and the people, plants, and animals that inhabit them.
Blocks are an awesome prop to add to your practice. I think sometimes blocks get a bad rap as something beginners need or something you use if you cant quite do the pose yet. Not true my friends, blocks help me go so much deeper into my practice, they also sometimes make my practice MORE challenging! I highly recommend adding blocks to your prop pile!!
I prefer these foam blocks, because I can use them for a wide variety of poses and use them to make a pose more accessible or more challenging. Cork blocks are great if you are more concerned about your balance and stability and need something that is going to be extremely sturdy and supportive. They may not be as comfortable in poses where you want to amp up your practice, such as sliding them under your back in your heart opener pose, but they will be awesome when working on balance postures such as half moon.
I recommend going with the thicker block for more support either way – dimensions are: 9” x 6” x 4”
I also love my yoga strap when taking my practice up a notch. I can go much deeper with my strap than without it and I can also relax the rest of my body much easier when I allow the strap to do some of the work. I love my strap for shoulder, hamstring, and IT band work.
I recommend going with the longer strap if available (10feet), much better to be too long than too short!
I have recently started adding light weights to some of my yoga sessions and I am loving the extra work and resistance I am getting in my upper body that is sometimes challenging to get in a yoga class. I recently found this set of 3lbs, 5lbs, and 8lbs which allows me to easily select the appropriate weight depending on the exercise. It’s actually amazing how heavy those 3 pounders can feel when holding your arms in a warrior two pose for 10 breaths!!
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