What to Wear to Yoga

February 7, 2011 No Comments

Over the past few weeks, many people have been asking me about what to wear to their first yoga class.  For you regular yoga-goers, even tweaking what you wear may help you to get more out of your yoga class.

Dress Comfortably

The general rule of thumb is to dress comfortably for ease of movement.  The clothing should not constrict mobility in any way.  Sweatpants, exercise pants, or spandex-type pants are ideal.  Pants like jeans or cargos are OK, but they probably will limit your mobility, and you won’t get your full stretch value out of the class!

Not too Loose!

The second rule of thumb is to wear something that is not too loose.  If you are comfortable in something that is form fitting, that is ideal, so that I, or any yoga instructor, can see your form in the pose, and help you with alignment when necessary.  If you are  not comfortable with form-fitting clothing, then wear something that is a little loose.  If the clothing is too loose however, the clothing will get in the way of the pose, and that, again will take away from your yoga experience.

Wear Layers!

The third point to keep in mind is to wear layers.  The warmth element of the yoga studio has been enhanced.  However, if you get cold easily, you might want to wear a few layers to stay warm.  During the active series, you can get pretty warm and will want to shed some layers.  During the deeper stretching the body starts to cool down.  And during final relaxation, the body temperature really drops, so people like to put layers back on, socks back on, and even cover up in a yoga blanket (provided at the studio).  All of this is recommended, as the warmer and more comfortable you feel in final relaxation, the easier it is to feel relaxed and calm, and get the most out of this part of the class.

Shop if you’d like….

Yoga clothes can get expensive.  Thrifty choices like Marshall’s or TJ Maxx have worked well for me.  If you want to be part of the yoga elite, and wear expensive yoga clothes, Lululemon and Lucy are the yoga outfitters of the day.

The Kate Gray Boutique in East Longmeadow has excellent comfy shirts and pants that can be worn to yoga, they are eco friendly, super comfortable, and will last a very long time.  You can find her at www.facebook.com/kategrayboutique.  She even carries necklaces with words like “Breathe” and “Namaste”.

So, stay comfy and layer-up, and I’ll see you at the next yoga class!

For Beginners, Karoun Yoga, Uncategorized, Yoga Tips