What to bring

Essentials:

your breath, your mind, and physical body

yoga mat (nothing fancy is necessary for beginner classes – can be found for less than $10 at Walmart). Choose 5mm thickness for the best comfort. I like a yoga mat bag that has compartments for keys and phones.

Do NOT use a thick, slippery pilates mat. These are comfortable for floor exercises only. Clean your mat with light mixture of dish soap and tea tree oil (do not oil up your mat).

water bottle (water fountains available in most locations) As a general rule,  I never drink really cold water, but I know we can get over heated, so do what makes you feel  balanced.

towel for sweat (best for safety and for comfort)

Props – What for?

Blocks are good for helping you raise the floor and assists to deepen poses. They are great for restorative poses (resting) poses that you can do at home. I used these regularly to release kinks and tightness in my own home practice, so they have a dual purpose – for class and at home. Read more:
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/why-use-props

blocks I feel the standard hand fits on a 4inch block ( 9″x 6″ x 4″). The smaller 3″ are less stable but okay for lifting hips if you’re shorter.

straps are optional but are useful in deepening your poses.

knee/elbow pads are kind of a new tool but super for those that don’t want to keep curling your mat – example

a wall (clear of nearby objects) is a great tool to work on poses for inversion or extending leg poses, and moving into deeper stretches, or leveraging strength for headstands

Attire: Athletic or loose clothing that allows for full range of motion but does not expose private areas – What does that mean?

Some good example of clothes for women, men, girls and boys are seen here. Men shorts fall to the knee. Women’s yoga attire generally includes tanks tops and leggings. Kids should wear similar clothes that do not allow for opening to the skin to private areas. Do a few stretches in front of a mirror and if anything shows that you’d blush about, maybe find something with less exposure.

A towel is great for water spills, sweat, and especially a slippery mat. In places that have heated classes, expect to sweat more and drink more water, so bringing a towel is a good idea. Realize that you can also take a spill on your own sweat or just make parts of your mat hazardous.

Cellphones: Not for use of recording during classes as it can make students self-conscious but feel free to snap selfies after classes and Insta or Facebook to #prismayoga for any class you feel proud to have completed. Feel free to leave to a bathroom for urgent calls, but please be respectful of volume in practice areas.

Home Sanctuary

I do encourage you find a yoga sanctuary or safe, quiet place to practice in your home or yard to seek serenity. You need space to widen to a straddle and hinge forwards and back. Be aware of objects in your path of movement and on the floor.

Clear the space of dust and other allergens to have fresh air circulating in your lungs.

Do safely invite sensory tools of incense, candles or scentsy and make it a breathing workspace.

Wear clothing appropriate for public and online practice and make sure you are flexible for full range of movement as well as comfortable for body temperature.

Take water breaks and any breaks as needed. The last thing you want is to injure your body.

Come with your mind ready to leave other thoughts, except to be present in your practice.

Daily Homework: Spend 10 minutes in quiet meditation in Savasana or reflection.

Forming a healthy lifestyle

It’s great to be a part of a motivational group that can keep you working toward your targets. Habits form after 21 days, so get in the habit of connecting and getting fit with others. Drinking water and eating fruits are on my list of goals but I love it more when a buddy wants to too, and now we’re making our lists and checking them twice! Cut out bad habits with a guardian angel, or a group of them.

Journal about your journey

I committed to a trial of habit-forming activities to help my friend, Martina Faulkner with a pilot book. She’s authored a self-help book called “What If..?: How to Create the Life You Want Using the Power of Possibility.” We followed exercises and checked in with a group of random strangers each week to discuss our paths in various key areas of life: eating, hydration, exercise, creativity, and financial targets.

Share posts of your journey in yoga to our Facebook page.

Keeping a journal of your intentions for your practice each day and then your thoughts after the exercise. See if you find new sparks of creativity, unlocking of mental blockages, and more feelings of freedom. This is for you to discover a journey within, so good luck!