The Big, Beautiful Yoga Towel

So, what’s the big deal about a yoga towel? A towel is a towel, right? No, not really. But, before we praise the numerous benefits of a good yoga towel, let’s engage in a little praise of Yoga, itself.

What Yoga Practice Can Do for You

Yoga helps you in awakening your inner body and enlivening your outer body! Doing each pose correctly requires your complete attention, and such focus awakens your mental awareness. A committed yoga practice awakens, energizes, and strengthens the structure and flow of the body. The goal of yoga practice is to create a union between the body, mind and spirit.

Patience is not only a virtue, it is the “key” to mastering a yoga pose, particularly when combined with ample time and commitment. A beginner should not expect to do a pose flawlessly on the first try. But, slowly over time, as you practice and try to perform each pose flawlessly, without pushing yourself too far physically or beating yourself up mentally, you will find that you are developing flexibility, strength, and energy physically and feeling more peaceful and clear mentally.

Choose a fresh, quiet space for your practice area, if possible with a bare floor and an accessible wall. Remove any distractions from your yoga environment. Preferably, you should not eat for at least 2 hours before practicing. If you can’t go without eating, 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 made with the intention to help you in moving deeper into a pose, in performing an impeccable pose, and in practicing in a healthful way.

High on the list of the many benefits of using yoga props is that most are designed to assist in relieving any pain or discomfort you might feel while you are perfectly a yoga pose.

Sometimes we all “push” rather than “easing” into a yoga pose, and injury may occur. Yoga props can give the support and extensions needed to do a pose correctly.

Doing yoga releases tension, and using props helps with stress relief by giving the support needed 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 perfectly. Yoga props are fundamental in aiding appropriate alignment.

Yoga props assist in augmenting 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 development 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 correctly, rather than concerning yourself with 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 precisely what you think it would, and more! Naturally, when you think of a towel, you think about absorbency, especially all you hot yoga (think Bikram) enthusiasts. The capacity to wick away moisture (and sweat!) after a expressly energizing routine is important, and there are a number of super-aborbent yoga towels made 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 places a hygienic layer between you and your yoga mat.

To be sure, there’s more than one relevant use for your yoga towel. Many yoga towels are made implicitly to prevent slipping while you practice your yoga poses. Several 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!). The gripping action truly starts as you distribute your weight in a yoga posture. 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 if you’ve forgotten your mat, or as brought up previously above, while participating in “hot” yoga, such as Bikram. Because most yoga towels are of super-absorbent components, they work better than a regular towel. A yoga towel that is the same size as your yoga mat is quite fashionable, as well as hygienic and healthy.

There are a variety of yoga towel colors available, but most come in earth tones.