Clothing
and Props
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What to Wear
Whether you practice hatha yoga at home, at the office, in a motel or in public classes, your clothing should allow you to move freely without binding or restricting your movements. Consideration should be given to the temperature of the room in which you practice yoga. Keeping your muscles warm will help prevent injury and sweating releases toxins. But becoming overheated or dehydrated can lead to serious injury and possibly death. Consult with your doctor or yoga teacher if you have any questions or concerns. Some suggestions for men and women practicing in a warm room are: bike or work-out shorts with a t-shirt or tank top or nothing at all. For cooler conditions, long pants and a long sleeve top are more appropriate. Unless you are practicing in an extremely cold room, you should remove your socks and shoes. Stocking feet can slide on sticky mats since the mats are designed to grip skin not cloth.
Yoga Mats and Props
Unless you are practicing on a carpeted floor, the single most important piece of equipment is a good yoga mat. Yoga mats, also referred to as sticky mats, come in a variety of thickness and colors. Thin mats (about 1/8 inch thick) are appropriate for standing postures and routines while thicker mats (about 1/4 inch think) are best for sitting and supine postures since they provide more support than thin mats. While the thicker mats are more expensive than thin mats, they are more durable and a better overall investment if you intend to continue practicing yoga or practice several styles of yoga combining standing, sitting and supine postures.
Props can enhance your yoga practice. Some schools of yoga rely on props while others discourage their use.