Though I haven't posted much about it, I've been working hard to integrate more yoga into my life. I've actually worked on a pose every day, picked at random from my Yoga Cards (review to come), and my practice and flexibility are slowly making forward progress. Along with daily poses, I've been building up a better set of gear to assist me in more challenging poses until I have reached a point where I can perform those poses independently. My yoga wheel has been instrumental, but it's hard to take with me now that I'm constantly on the go. Instead, I've looked into ways to make my yoga practice a little more mobile, to match my current schedule! Thanks to FiveFourTen, I now have a pair of yoga straps that give me no excuse not to practice any time, anywhere!
The first is a stretching strap that really helps me hit those straight-leg poses that are so difficult with my ultra-tight hamstrings! Very simply, the strap is a long piece of fabric with a D-ring attachment to allow you to loop the strap back over and adjust as needed. Most yoga straps are like this, and just like every other strap I've seen, the texture is rough and somewhat rigid. It's effective for its purpose, but I'd love to someday see a softer material used for one of these. Rigidity is fine, but the roughness can sometimes cut into my skin if I'm trying to hold a difficult pose for a while!
Second, I now have a yoga mat carrying strap! It's fully adjustable, so it'll fit any size mat, and the simple construction makes it easy to use. Just adjust the end loops to the right size, slip it over the mat, tighten down just a bit, and you're ready to go - no bag needed. The carrying strap is great for when you want to travel light. My only complaint is that the reinforced area that will bear the weight of the mat is very rigid, and with most of my (very soft) mats, the strap can cut into the material and leave deep impressions in the mat's surface. This can get a little annoying when practicing; I hate when my fingers or toes hit a rut while I'm trying to focus. For some people, this may not be a huge issue, and the convenience of the strap (especially being adjustable for any of my various mats) probably outweighs the minor inconvenience of a little dent in my mat!
Disclosure: I received both straps at no cost in exchange for my review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.
Have you used any special yoga props or accessories? Did they help you with your practice? How often do you practice yoga outside of a gym or your home?
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