So, what’s all the fuss about a yoga towel? A towel is a towel, right? No, not really. But, before we extol the numerous bonuses of a good yoga towel, let’s talk a little about Yoga, itself.
The Benefits of Yoga
Yoga aids you in awakening your inner body and enlivening your outer body! As you unburden your mind to give your undivided attention to each pose, you cultivate your “inner body” awareness of the present moment. Regular yoga practice fosters a healthy body through proper breathing for more oxygenation, greater flexibility for ease of motion, added muscle strength for confident movement, and perfect alignment for enhanced energy flow. The goal of yoga practice is to create a union between the body, mind and spirit.
It takes time and commitment, as well as a whole lot of patience, to master a yoga pose. No one is a master the first time they try to do anything. But, slowly over time, as you practice and attempt to perform each pose flawlessly, without pushing yourself too far physically or beating yourself up mentally, you will notice that you are developing flexibility, strength, and energy physically and feeling more peaceful and clear mentally.
The best environment for doing your practice is a clean, peaceful place with a bare floor and available wall. Remove any distractions from your yoga environment. Preferably, you should not eat for at least 2 hours before practicing. If you find you need to eat, then try to eat something light, such as a piece of fruit, but no more than 1 hour before you start your yoga practice.
If you should feel pain or discomfort as you attempt a pose, pause or stop, then try again with more mindful movement.
Yoga props and yoga accessories, such as yoga mats, yoga bolsters, yoga straps, yoga blocks, yoga mat bags, and even yoga towels are designed to assist you in moving deeper into a pose, in performing an impeccable pose, and in practicing in a wholesome way.
Yoga prop benefits are many, but first and foremost they help to avoid, or relieve, pain and discomfort that sometimes accompanies the more challenging yoga poses, expressly in the beginning.
Until you’ve cultivated core structural strength, yoga props can help you to avoid injuring yourself.
Doing yoga releases rigidity, and using props adis with stress relief by providing the support necessary for you to relax (but not be lazy) in your practice.
The plumb line, that is, “head-over-heels” body alignment, is essential in doing yoga poses correctly. Yoga props help you maintain appropriate alignment.
Yoga props help to enhance movement. Certain props create space in the joints and allow the body more fluid movement without causing stress on a particular joint.
As we mentioned earlier, yoga practice is concerned with unifying the mind, body and spirit through the expansion of a deeper awareness and the augmentation of mindfulness. How will yoga props assist in this great goal? When you are able to simply focus your mind on doing your yoga poses flawlessly, rather than worrying about transitory limitations, you will go deeper into that balance of mind, body, and spirit.
How to Use and Appreciate Your Yoga Towel
A yoga towel does more than you might think! Most often, when you think of a towel, you think about absorbency, expressly in the case of hot yoga (think Bikram) enthusiasts. The capacity to wick away moisture (and sweat!) after a expressly energizing routine is beneficial, and there are a number of super-aborbent yoga towels composed of microfibers that do just that. Plus they dry quicker than cotton towels. They are manufactured with ease of washing and drying in mind, and most are made with organic dyes and other healthy ingredients. A mat-size yoga towel puts a hygienic layer between you and your yoga mat.
To be sure, there’s more than one relevant use for your yoga towel. In addition to promoting good health and hygiene, many yoga towels are made implicitly to prevent slipping while while you do your yoga poses. Some yoga towels have “silicone eco nubs” on one side, others have clear rubber dots, still others have a latex-free “gripping” agent. When placed face down, the nubs or dots, or a similar gripping agent, grip your yoga mat (or the floor if you’ve forgotten to buy a yoga mat and there isn’t one available!). Once you diffuse your weight in a yoga posture, the gripping action starts, in this way keeping your hands or feet from slipping mid-stretch. Yoga towels are crucial for a steadier, more stable practice.
A yoga towel works as a top layer for your yoga mat, as a yoga mat substitute when a mat isn’t available, or as suggested above, while performing “hot” yoga, such as Bikram. Because most yoga towels are of super-absorbent components, they are more utilitarian than a regular towel. The same size as a average yoga mat, the towel is somewhat fashionable and very effective.
Most yoga towels come in earth tone shades from tan to deep gray, green, and dusty purple.
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