What Do You Pack in Your Yoga Bag?

Our mantra is, mindfulness is happiness. One of the ways we’ve been staying mindful and boosting our self-care routines is by staying active and centered through yoga. With so many types of yoga practices – from the more bodily styles of vinyasa and hatha to spiritual restorative flows like kundalini – there’s something for everyone.

But there’s more to being prepared for practice than just leggings and yoga mats. In celebration of International Yoga Day, let’s observe some of the benefits of this beautiful mind and body training, and the yoga supplies we swear by.

History suggests that yoga has been around in one form or another since the dawn of time. The term ‘Yoga’ is derived from Sanskrit, and its root ‘Yuj’ means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’. The concept focuses on uniting the mind and body with a Universal Consciousness, and likewise connecting man and nature. In this we find the heart and purpose of yoga, recognizing how it can elevate one’s wellbeing with continued practice.

When we first looked into trying yoga, we were impressed (albeit a bit overwhelmed) by just how many different styles of yoga exist. With so many different types of practice come an incredible array of benefits that makes yoga not just impactful, but a critical part of life for new and seasoned yogis.

Here are a few key benefits of yoga:

• Regular yoga practice encourages self-care. Because of the mind-body wellness promoted by yoga, dedicating this time to physical wellness allows us to find more ways to take care of ourselves in our day to day lives.

• It’s no secret that most of us seek out yoga to achieve a healthier lifestyle; committing to regular practice can help us adopt healthier habits overall.

• Practicing yoga helps to improve body balance, posture, and flexibility.

• The regular movements and various yoga poses help to build strength in the muscles.

• Certain yoga poses may help ease constipation, gas, and bloating making it a useful tool and natural alternative therapy to medication.

• The frequent stretches and poses involved in yoga help to relieve common body aches, such as knee aches and lower back pain.

• Muscle building and pain relief can be accomplished through yoga. These can result in improved blood flow, reduced symptoms of arthritis, and less inflammation in the body.

• Regular yoga flow and that reduction in stress leads to improved mental and physical energy.

• Studies have found that yoga practice helps to boost serotonin levels and ease anxiety and depression. Mindfulness is a key part of reducing stress and anxiety, and is a natural byproduct of yoga.

• Yoga gives us time to dedicate to ourselves. It allows us to be present, feel more relaxed, relieve muscle tension, and to invest in our mental and physical health.

If you’re anything like us, we find ourselves diving into “what’s in our bag” videos all the time – and inevitably ordering some goody or gadget that we seem to suddenly need. Fair warning, we’re sharing tools that every new yogi needs in their yoga bag. Some of our yoga supplies might surprise you!

Yoga Bag | First off, there’s the bag itself. A lightweight option that can be washed or wiped off with a cloth is preferred. Try one that has a belt for your mat, plus plenty of pockets and compartments for the yoga essentials you’re hauling around.

Comfy & Functional Clothes | Choosing the proper clothes for yoga is essential. You want something that’s breathable, snug overall for flexibility yet loose around the neck, shoulders, and arms to allow for complete mobility. Choosing an eco-friendly athleisure brand like Alo or Organic Basics will help you practice the whole (wo)man and nature connection, too.

Yoga Mat | A yoga mat is easily the most essential supply on the list! Our advice is to choose one that is soft on hard surfaces, but thin enough to roll easily and secure with a bag strap.

Water Bottle | We’re always looking for cute ways to be eco-friendly, and this collapsible water bottle is just the ticket! Available in a range of 16 vibrant shades and developed from plastic-free food-grade silicone, we can stay hydrated in style throughout our vinyasas.

Headband or Hair Wrap | We often heard yogis recommend headbands, but we underestimated how necessary it would be as part of our yoga supplies and yoga essentials. We prefer a moisture-wicking headband that’s lightweight, doesn’t add to our sweating, and keeps hair back without leaving an unsightly dent.

Sun Protection | When we practice outdoors, we’ve got to ensure our skin is well protected. Our go to is a personal favorite; this green tea SPF option that helps treat our skin with anti-aging free antioxidants. Plenty of hydrating aloe juice and cucumber double down on that ‘fresh from yoga class’ glow.

Aromatherapy | Mindfulness is a huge part of yoga, and one way we like to set the tone for an impactful practice is with a dab of our Aromatherapy Oil. Blending it onto pulse points (temples, neck, wrists) promotes a calming atmosphere and an instant cooling sensation (perfect post-Bikram).

Allergy Treatment | We absolutely adore the great outdoors, but deep calming breaths can be a killer when we’re having an allergy flare up. We typically keep our go-to allergy treatment in our yoga supplies, but yoga strips are a great back-up and handy for passing on to a friend in need.

Hand Sanitizer | We’re all aware of how important clean hands are by now, so there’s a hand sanitizer in every bag we use – not just our yoga bags. When we’ve been getting down(ward dog) and dirty, a thicker gel cleanser really cleans everything off. Vegan, natural, and softening with the addition of aloe vera, the 100% PURE Hand Sanitizer Gel makes the yoga supplies cut.

Yoga Mat Spray | When we’ve got some surfaces to clean, an antibacterial hand and surface spray is a must. Ours features uplifting lemon oil for a neutral scent that matches our post-yoga mood.

Skin Care | Never ones to enjoy sweat or grime lingering on our skin, we always come prepared with a washable face pad and a restorative skin toner – this may be our favorite yoga supply of all. It’s a nice freshen-up after sweating, and what feels better than a balanced acid mantle?

Facial Spray | Having a facial spray available for cooling down after class is something we never regret lugging around to and from class. Try out this vegan Rose Water Facial Mist, carefully formulated with toning white tea and calming rose to reduce redness and leave us with a clearer complexion.

Beauty Pick Me Up |It may be a teensy bit unnecessary, but when we’re scheduled to practice with our favorite crush teacher, having a beauty pick me up on hand boosts our confidence to practice harder and better. A lip and cheek tint adds the perfect made-you-look glow to our skin.

Get more health + wellness tips:

• The Best Aromatherapy Essential Oils

• 20 Tips for World Mental Health Day

• 6 Ways to Instantly De-Stress

• Eco-Friendly Period Products