The Manduka Mat

I have gone through and tried many different yoga mats and absolutely hands down there is one that beats them all and that is the Black Manduka Mat. It is black, super thick, and super grippy! The only downside is that it is super heavy and about $120, but it will last you a lifetime!

There are less expensive Manduka mats that I have used for traveling that have worked just as well. For my home practice I always use the Cadillac Black Mat.

Then there are all the other mats out there. I have found most of these to be slippery and wear out quite quickely if you have a regular practice. In the long run getting a high quality mat will save you time and money in the long run. I’m always excited to practice on my favorite mat!

To see me on the mat I use check this out!

I love props and if you are creative with them they can serve tons of different purposes. There are some really important ones and then some additional ones that can be nice to have.

Here is what i think it absolutely important to have for starting your own yoga practice:

The Mat (obviously). This is really all you need, but the next few items are good to have to help out your progress.

Green solft foam blocks

Dense foam blocks

Straps

Dowling

Additional Items:

Bolsters

Heart Block

Stretchy bands

Wooden blocks

Tennis balls in a sock

sensiballs

toe stretchers.

Most of these you can find at any yoga store. Or you can check out www.halfmoonyogaprops.com which is where most of mine are from. A lot of these are also home made creations. When I started practicing yoga at home i became much more aware of what my body needed and where i needed more opening. Some of these props are designed for that, or i have figured out new ways to use props to help out my practice.

I have a series of videos coming out of me describing and demonstrating how i use each of my props. Today i’m starting with just simple dense foam blocks. They have lots of uses, but my video shows what i use them for. I’m sure you will figure out many more ways to use them!

CHeck out my video!: Dense Foam Blocks