French Yoga Community

How to choose your yoga equipment for beginners? Discover the wise advice of Margaux Pierre-Bloch. From yoga mats to bricks and straps, Margaux informs beginner yogis and helps them better choose their equipment.

When traveling or going to yoga class, bring a foldable, comfortable and non-slip yoga mat with you.

Yogis know that it is definitely better to have your own yoga mat, not only for hygiene reasons, but also because it is a space all to yourself. However, it can be heavy and bulky. It is not easy to transport it to the studio or to the yoga retreat! The solution? The travel yoga mat . Why this one rather than another? Simply because this soul mat is thinner (about 1.5 mm thick) and therefore lighter (often less than 1 kg). Even better, it is foldable! It is a joy to take it everywhere with you, because it fits in a bag or suitcase. Moreover, it is a perfect accessory for nomadic yogis! Know that it loses none of its non-slip side. Jade, Manduka, Yoga design lab, Yuj… let yourself be guided in order to choose an ecological travel yoga mat made for you.

A foldable yoga mat, yes, but not just any material!

Yoga is one of the spiritual practices that connects the body and mind. In this process, it is best to choose an eco-friendly travel yoga mat made of Oeko-Tex certified PVC or natural rubber. In addition, these eco-friendly materials are durable and recyclable.

The natural rubber travel yoga mat is the must-have material. Why? It offers great grip and is therefore perfect for dynamic types of yoga. The only drawbacks are its high price and the fact that it is not suitable for yogis allergic to latex. The Oeko-Tex certified PVC travel yoga mat is often less expensive. However, it remains non-slip and resistant. However, prefer it for occasional practice.

A featherweight that makes it easy to transport the eco-friendly travel yoga mat

As its name suggests, a travel mat is used for traveling. So, it must be light. The transportable yoga mat generally weighs less than 1 kg, making it easier to travel, especially to the studio. Be careful, a natural rubber accessory can be heavier. Our advice, if you often carry your mat, opt for a very light soul mat, i.e. less than 1 kg.

Ultra-light yoga mat: Its thin size

The travel yoga mat is lighter, it is also thinner: between 1 and 2 mm. The lower the thickness, the easier the mat folds to the size of a yoga brick or a piece of clothing. Thus, your yoga equipment, more compact, fits into a bag or suitcase. However, there is a big drawback, the cushioning is limited. This soul mat is therefore not recommended if you have a fragile back and/or joints or for gentle types of yoga. Do you still want to buy this type of travel yoga mat? Then, prefer a higher thickness.

What dimensions should you choose for your transportable yoga mat?

In the jungle of yoga mats, there are standard sizes (approximately 180 x 60 cm) and large sizes (length between 185 and 220 cm and width between 60 and 72 cm). Why so many dimensions? You can't see yourself wearing clothes that are too small? Then, just like the different sizes of clothing, your ultra-light yoga mat must adapt to your body shape (height and build) so as not to injure yourself when performing asanas. Are you over 1.80 m tall and/or do you have broad shoulders? Nothing could be simpler, choose a larger mat (size L or even XL).

A travel yoga mat design that will make your mat neighbor jealous

Red, orange, green, purple... the foldable yoga mat comes in several colors and sometimes even with a more inspiring design like the Yoga design lab travel mats with geometric shapes or mandalas. Choose your soul mat according to your tastes or the color of the chakra you need to work on the most.

• Red for the root chakra,
• Orange for the sacred chakra,
• Green for the heart chakra,
• Blue for the throat chakra,
• Purple for the 3rd eye or crown chakra.

THE yoga mat is totally adapted to the practice: grip, comfort, ecology, inspiration to spirituality.

Do you want to start yoga and have a gym or Pilates mat? Are you wondering if it is suitable for practicing asanas? 

You can count on your quality Yoga Wheel to relax, practice openings, build muscle and gain balance.

You may know the yoga wheel as the Yoga Wheel ? It is indeed the same thing. Be careful not to confuse it with the wheel asana. This round yoga accessory will be one of your best allies to perfect your practice without risk, just like the bolster or the brick. But you don't see what it can be used for? Let yourself be convinced, thanks to this article, that using a yoga wheel can be truly beneficial for all yogis, even the most seasoned. We advise you to use it on a yoga mat in order to have optimal stability.

Inverted Yoga Wheel Poses: Opening the Rib Cage/Heart, Flexing the Back and Releasing Tension

Inverted postures all allow you to work on the flexibility of your back. Here, the solid Yoga Wheel is a great help, because it perfectly hugs your back curves, without the risk of injuring yourself during your back bends. You will force less! Now, you can imagine that the use of the yoga wheel does not stop there. It helps you with your heart/rib cage opening postures:

• Half-bridge asana (Ardha-setu-bandhâsana),
• Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana).

With the constraints imposed by daily life (especially sitting in front of a computer), we tend to be tense, especially in the upper back (shoulders and neck). Among the virtues of the Yoga Wheel , you will find the possibility of relaxing your muscles by practicing shoulder opening. But how to do it?

• For a cork yoga wheel backbend, sit on a yoga mat,
• Your legs are bent and your feet are firmly anchored in the ground,
• Position the eco-friendly Yoga Wheel behind your back lengthwise,
• Place your arms above your head and then tilt your body backwards using your legs,
• Finally, put your hands behind your head or grab your eco-friendly yoga accessory .

The Yoga Wheel to massage your spine

During your inverted postures, you can simply massage your spine along its entire length, by rolling your eco-friendly yoga accessory on itself. Relaxation guaranteed!

Benefits of the yoga wheel: strengthening your body

As you know, practicing yoga also helps to strengthen your body. And the eco-friendly Yoga Wheel will help you! You can even work on a particular part: legs, abs, lower part of your anatomy or the top. For example, do push-ups by placing your yoga accessory under your feet.

The benefit of strengthening your abs is that you improve your balance and posture in general. Why? Simply because these muscles are the stabilizers of your body. Tighten your abs and you will see that your balance is better! In a plank position, place your yoga wheel under your feet and stay like that. Have fun lifting one leg, then the other. This also helps to work on your stability.

Yoga exercises with a wheel to develop your balance

As its name suggests, the quality yoga wheel rolls. It is therefore a good way to develop your balance, a key point in yoga, but also to stimulate your inner ear. For example, try standing on it on one foot. The other foot is bent along the body and the hand holds it. Be careful, at the beginning, hold on to a wall so as not to hurt yourself by falling.

Using a Yoga Wheel to Stretch Your Body

After your session of strength training and balance postures, perform stretching asanas with a yoga wheel . Stretch each part of your body, especially your legs. Here's how to do it:

• While standing, place one leg on the yoga prop ,
• Bend the other hind limb to an angle of about 90°,
• Your arms are extended upwards, palm to palm. This exercise will stretch the iliopsoas muscle.

Why this one? Well, when this one is too contracted, it is responsible for more or less unpleasant sciatic pain.

Your yoga bolster is your accomplice in the perfect execution of your asanas.

The bolster is a cylindrical or rectangular cushion that is generally used in gentle Iyengar or restorative yoga. Regardless of its shape, this object can be used by both beginner and experienced yogis. Serving as a support, it is an additional aid for performing certain asanas! This way, you maintain good alignment, but also work longer and deeper, without injuring yourself. For this, it is necessary to choose a yoga bolster carefully in order to perform opening, relaxation or stretching asanas safely.

A cylindrical or rectangular yoga bolster?

In stores, you can find the cylindrical or rectangular yoga bolster . The cylindrical cushion is also called a yoga bolster because of its shape. It is best known by yogis to easily perform opening, stretching or restorative postures. For example, you can place it under your legs during the Savasana position or along your spine. The advantage is that it fits the shape of your body very well.

The rectangular yoga bolster is less well-known, but oh so useful! Indeed, it can be used on both sides (laid flat or on the side) depending on your flexibility or the type of posture. It can even be used as a meditation cushion at the end of a yoga session. A practical yoga object , because it's 2 in 1!

What size yoga bolster should I choose?

There are 2 sizes of yoga bolster : the mini and the standard. The smallest fits under your neck without bothering you. Why use it? Simply because at the neck level, you accumulate tension and using the small yoga bolster helps relax this area. As for the standard yoga bolster (63 x 23 cm or 69 x 23 cm), it slides along your spine as support. Finally, the rectangular bolster comes in 2 sizes: 66 cm long x 17 cm wide x 7 cm high or 63 cm long x 33 cm wide x 14 cm high. Generally speaking, the size of your yoga bolster is chosen according to your size, your flexibility and the posture performed.

Choosing the right filling material for the firmness of the yoga accessory

The filling of the yoga bolster affects the firmness of the cushion. If you are light, I recommend a softer yoga accessory . Conversely, if you are heavier, prefer a firmer eco-responsible bolster . A little tip, favor the purchase of a zipped bolster . Why? In order to be able to add material inside and adjust the firmness.

• Do you prefer softness or are you light? Opt for a kapok bolster ,
• Do you prefer firmness or are you heavier? Choose a spelt bolster .

A color, a symbolism

A rainbow of colors and prints make up the yoga bolsters on the market. In chromatherapy, color has a vibration (an energy) that interacts with your body. Thus, each color has its benefits.

• Black: it helps to empty your mind,
• Red: connected to the root chakra, it transmits inner strength,
• Green: linked to the heart chakra, it evokes harmony, optimism, stability and calm,
• Blue: connected to the throat chakra, it encourages listening to others and inner serenity,
• Violet: linked to the crown chakra, it expresses idealism, peace and purity.