How to Start an At-Home Yoga Practice

Get Your Gear

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Technically, you don’t need anything but your own body to practice yoga. However, having equipment you truly enjoy using, particularly equipment you feel proud of, can help you create the “space” and atmosphere in your home that encourages a continued practice.

Plus, investing in a nice yoga mat and a few props may make you feel like you have to follow through on your good intentions and earn back the money you’ve put into your home practice. 

The good news is that yoga doesn’t require much in the way of equipment, so even if you buy high-end gear, you’re still looking at a total cost commitment that’s under a couple hundred bucks.

Veronica Parker, a Kundalini yoga teacher and meditation coach, suggests you have the following supplies on hand before starting your practice:

• A yoga mat
• A pair of yoga blocks
• A belt or yoga strap
• A cushion or bolster to sit on for meditation

Of course, there are hundreds of brands and styles to choose from, a fact that can feel overwhelming to a new practitioner. Your highest-cost item is likely to be your yoga mat. For a high-quality mat, you can expect to pay between $60 and $120. Check online retailers like YogaOutlet.com and Amazon for deals on well-respected brands like Jade and Manduka.

And while it may be tempting to buy a thick, cushiony mat, Parker suggests sticking to a thinner version, as they’re easier to practice balance poses on. Look for supportive mats with 3- to 5-millimeters of thickness. For instance, the Jade Yoga Elite S Natural Rubber Yoga Mat is 5-millimeters thick and costs just under $100. 

Pair your mat with two lower-cost blocks, like the Everyday Yoga 4-Inch Foam Yoga Block, which sell for $8 each, and a strap, like the B Yoga Stretch Practice Strap, which sells for $18, and you have pretty much everything you need for your home practice. Use a pillow you have on hand as a cushion, or go ahead and buy an attractive yoga bolster, like the Chattra Oval Bolster, which sells for just under $80.

Over time, and as your practice deepens, you may decide to purchase more props or supplies for your studio, but there’s no need to buy more at the start. Parker has one more tip. “If you don’t consider yourself very flexible, it’s useful to have a chair handy so you can use it for extra support.”