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

Yoga Mind/Body Benefits

Regular yoga practice will enliven your mind as it stimulates your body! As you unburden your mind to give your full attention to each pose, you cultivate your “inner body” awareness of the present moment. Consistent yoga practice encourages 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.

Patience is not only a virtue, it is the “key” to mastering a yoga pose, specially when combined with ample time and commitment. No one is a master the first time they attempt to do anything. But, slowly over time, as you practice and attempt to perform each pose correctly, without pushing yourself too far physically or beating yourself up mentally, you will discover that you are developing flexibility, strength, and energy physically and feeling more peaceful and clear mentally.

Choose a clean, quiet space for your practice area, and if you can, one with a bare floor and an accessible wall. Avoid distractions, such as cell phones, during your yoga practice. Ideally, 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.

Always be mindful with your movements, and if you feel pain or discomfort as you try a pose, pause or stop, and then try again.

Yoga props and yoga accessories, such as yoga mats, yoga bolsters, yoga straps, yoga blocks, yoga mat bags, and even yoga towels are perfect for aiding you in moving deeper into a pose, in performing a flawless pose, and in practicing in a healthful way.

Yoga prop benefits are bountiful, but first and foremost they help to avoid, or relieve, pain and discomfort that sometimes accompanies the more challenging yoga poses, particularly in the beginning.

Yoga props also help to prevent injury when you are on occasion tempted to push too hard to “get it right.”

Doing yoga releases tightness, and using props assists with stress relief by providing the support you require 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 accurately. Yoga props are fundamental in aiding appropriate alignment.

Ease and flexibility of movement are are another healthy part of the benefits to using yoga props. Certain props create space in the joints and let the body more fluid movement without causing stress on a particular joint.

And, finally, we get back to one of the extraordinary benefits of yoga, i.e., the development of awareness and understanding. When you are free to focus on doing your yoga poses perfectly, rather than worrying about any limitations you might currently have, you are more able to experience the deeper gifts of a regular yoga practice. Yoga props can aid in eliminating any limitations to your doing flawless yoga poses.

 

The Big, Beautiful Yoga Towel

A yoga towel does precisely what you think it would, and more! Most often, when you think of a towel, you think about absorbency, expressly all you hot yoga (think Bikram) enthusiasts. There are lots of super-absorbent yoga towels available, some consisting of microfibers, that wick away moisture (and sweat!) during and after an especially energizing routine, and they dry in far less time than a cotton towel. They are manufactured with ease of washing and drying in mind, and most are made with organic dyes and other healthy ingredients. Though you may want to get more than one size towel, if you want to put a hygienic layer between you and your yoga mat, make sure to get at least one mat-size yoga towel.

To be sure, there’s more than one advantage to your yoga towel. In addition to encouraging good health and hygiene, many yoga towels are made implicitly to prevent slipping while while you do your yoga poses. A few 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 distribute your weight in a yoga posture, the gripping action starts, thus keeping your hands or feet from slipping mid-stretch. Yoga towels are vital 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 materials, 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.