Folks often ask me what equipment I recommend for the home yoga practice. I love yoga gear! Here is my take on several different items to make your practice even better.
For Regular Yoga, I recommend everyone have a Yoga Strap at the very least. Ideally you have 2 blocks as well.
If you take Pilates or Core Yoga, Pilates rings are great.
The links I provide are mostly for Amazon because I know that most people use that company already. One item I use is not on Amazon. I also like Yogaaccessories.com. Yogaaccessories.com does not have free shipping on small orders, but they do offer a 10% discount for first -time customers. Of course you are welcome to buy anywhere!
Recommendations:
Yoga Straps
Yoga straps are made of cloth and are not stretchy. Any yoga strap is fine for my class, but if you are 6 feet tall or taller, you will need a strap that is 8 or 10 feet long. My boyfriend is just 6 feet and tall and feels fine with an 8 foot strap.
If you are planning to use your strap for a quadricep stretch, or fancy things, you may want to invest in a good quality strap. Hugger Mugger is a brand I can recommend. Gaiam I do NOT recommend. The difference is the buckle quality is good with Hugger Mugger and Terrible with Gaiam.
If you don't plan to use the buckle, any strap is fine. Just get a longer strap if you are 6 feet or taller.
If you already have a stretchy exercise band or TheraBand . . . it technically can be used as a yoga strap, but be mindful of your joints as they are stretchy and less stable.
If your hands hurt from holding your yoga strap, you could try a yoga strap with loops. There are many colors on Amazon. This one is the cheapest I saw.
Yoga Blocks
Yoga Blocks need to be 4 x 6 x 9 or bigger. Skinny yoga blocks are not stable. You can pick any color or material you want. There are eco-friendly options. There are also extra large blocks called Superblocks. For my Vinyasa classes, I do recommend one or two blocks. For my Strong Bones classes, we can work without them.
Yoga Props for Wrist Pain
One of my yoga lovers has a wrist injury and she really likes her Yoga-Grip Wrist Alignment props.
I have not personally tried Wrist Buddy Yoga Blocks, but they look interesting!
I do like cork wedges for doing planks sometimes. I prefer to use 2 10-inch wedges rather than a single long one because I have broad shoulders, so my arms are further apart than a long wedge can accommodate. These wedges are also great for elevating your heels during squats. I couldn't find these on Amazon. Yogaaccesories.com has them. They don't offer free shipping for small orders, but they do have a 10% discount for your first order. Here are the cork wedges I use.
Pilates Ring
Unless you really want to work super hard, I don't recommend the metal rings. I prefer rings that have little crescent shaped "handles" or "stabilizing grips." I recommend the Chenlin Pilates Ring, only because it is relatively inexpensive, it comes in multiple colors, and others have said they like the rings. If you can find something less expensive, it is probably fine.
Handweights
For Core Yoga, we can do a lot with small weights of about 2 or 3 pounds. However, our muscles AND our bones need to be challenged. If doing bicep curls with the weights you have is getting easy, you might consider getting some heavier weights. I personally lift heavier weights at the gym, and do light toning with my small weights at home.
Washable Yoga Blankets
I LOVE my yoga blankets because they are so versatile. They fold better than the average blanket you use on your bed or couch, so they can offer more support. A yoga blanket can be a kneepad, a pillow, a bolster, or more, depending on how you fold them. Just make sure you can put them in the washer and dryer or you will be sorry. Especially if you have pets. Links: Washable Yoga Blanket on Amazon 🌸 Washable Yoga Blanket on Yogaaccessories.com
Massage Balls
I used to use Pinky Balls from toystores, but one day their quality went waaaayyyy down, and they don't even bounce anymore! My massage balls came from a Pilates studio in the city. If you want to order online, I can vouch for the quality of Yoga Tune Up Balls. You can also find less expensive ones, or use balls from a sporting goods store. I think tennis balls are too squishy and golf balls are too hard. But I know people who use golf balls!
Elastic Exercise Bands
Latex Free Beginners Theraband Kit -- $16.99 This has 3 different levels so you have the option to work harder or lighter depending on how you feel that day.
If you have arthritis in your hands
Some people find it uncomfortable to grip the therabands because they don't have handles. If this is a concern for you, you might try the CLX Theraband. It has loops all over it so you can put the loops over your hands without curling your fingers.
I would try the Red level . . .Here is the Link to the CLX
Other Stuff
I love my equipment and I have a ton of other "toys" in my home yoga room. But this list is the every-day stuff. If you want to know about yoga bolsters, meditation cushions, foam rollers or other things, let me know!
A couple of other nice things would be a journal for your meditations and a small speaker if you like to listen to music while practicing yoga. You will want to play music from a separate device than the one you are Zooming on.
If you are still on the fence about some of these items, I have a little video talking about most of them. If you don't want to watch the entire thing, you can scroll to the 7:04 minutes mark and I give a fast summary.
Happy Shopping!
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