Our Yoga Must-Haves: Sustainable Essentials for Your At-Home Yoga Practice
The cold season invites us to retreat into our cozy home. And into ourselves. Now is the time to get back on the mat and dive into your yoga practice. Here's how to optimally equip yourself for yoga at home.
Are you looking for high-quality and sustainable yoga essentials? We'll show you how to best equip yourself for your personal yoga practice and recommend our favorite products.
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All the yoga items presented here are not only available in our online shop, but we also use them ourselves in our personal yoga practice because we believe in them. So, if you have any questions about a product, we'd be happy to share our experiences and recommendations.
THE Yoga Mat – Non-slip and Durable
Your own yoga mat is the most important thing you need for your practice at home. You'll notice the difference a good mat makes at the latest during your first Downward Facing Dog. It's really worth investing in a good quality yoga mat!
We love BYOGA's 4mm-thick BMAT Everyday Yoga Mat for its sustainability, and especially for its extremely good grip and durability. Even after three years of daily use, our BMAT is as non-slip as it was on day one.
The BMAT yoga mat will take your asana experience to a whole new level. We promise! And you'll be able to use it for years – that's sustainability for us too.
The highlights of our favorite yoga mat:
- Super grip, extremely non-slip
- Extremely robust & durable
- Environmentally friendly
- Antimicrobial
- Material mix of natural & small amount of synthetic rubber
- Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified
- Format: 180cm × 66cm × 0.4cm
- 1.8kg light – easily take it to the studio!
For those who love to travel and want to practice yoga on the go, the Traveler variant of the B MAT is ideal. It's only half as thick and can be folded to laptop size, even fitting in carry-on luggage.
Yoga Blocks – Versatile Support
Anyone who thinks yoga blocks are just for yoga newbies is mistaken. The blocks support beginners in their asana practice as well as advanced practitioners and can be used in a variety of ways – there are no limits to creativity. With a block, you can make exercises easier or more challenging. Use blocks as an alignment aid, as support for passive asana variations, to raise the floor, or even for strengthening.
We proudly claim that with our collaboration with the Kenyan social enterprise Ocean Sole, we not only have sustainable but also the most beautiful yoga blocks for your practice.
Each block is handmade from 21 recycled flip-flops, which were collected along with approximately 115 kilograms of other marine waste per block from the coasts of Kenya. Each block has significant ecological and social added value.
Learn more about the background of a yoga block in our blog post.
The flip-flop blocks have a good grip, are stable yet pleasantly soft and comfortable due to their rounded edges (also ideal for backbends and long-held Yin Yoga forms).
For regular practice – whether active yoga or quieter practices – we recommend a set of two blocks to make optimal use of them in your practice.
Mat Cleaner – Keep Your Yoga Essentials Hygienic
Clean your mat and blocks regularly – we, for example, have made it a ritual after practice, but before is also fine. You can do this with tap water or a natural cleaning spray. Our homemade cleaning spray, made from natural ingredients of the best quality, smells wonderfully of lavender and Swiss pine thanks to the essential oils it contains.
Yoga Bolster – for Extra Comfort
In addition to blocks, we recommend a bolster for even more comfort. Especially in Yin Yoga and other long relaxation postures, a bolster makes a big difference. Two blocks alone are not enough for optimal padding. Large cushions and pillows from the sofa can also be used for this purpose. Ideally something that is thick enough to offer resistance, as well as being pleasantly soft in fabric.
If you can't find a suitable cushion in your home and want to buy a yoga bolster, choose one that you will also use in everyday life besides your practice and that fits well into your home, on the sofa or bed.
Our premium quality bolster in 100% natural linen from Halfmoon is made in Vancouver, Canada, and is very durable. Its size creates a stable and comfortable surface that particularly invites stretching, extending, and relaxing. The extra-fine, durable linen fabric has a cooling effect, which further supports relaxation and the Yin element. Bonus: The bolster height can be individually adjusted by simply removing some filling material from the inner cushion. The linen cover is washable.
Halfmoon's premium meditation cushions in natural linen are also excellent for Restorative and Yin Yoga, as well as meditation practices.
Blanket – for Cushioning and Cozy Warmth
Is there anything cozier than lying warmly covered in Savasana? We think hardly! (Why hardly? See next section...)
A blanket will also enrich your yoga practice in other ways. Use a folded blanket as cushioning to softly pad sensitive joints, such as your knees in tabletop pose or a low lunge, or as a weight to support letting go. In addition to being used in active yoga styles, blankets are important accessories in many exercises and poses, especially in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Pregnancy Yoga.
Our hand-woven blanket from Halfmoon, made in India from 100% cotton, is woven with a flat edge so that nothing disturbs your practice. This allows it to be folded flat, which we greatly appreciate in all yoga styles. Personally, we also use the simple blanket as a bedspread and on the couch. We love it when things are multi-functional!
Eye Pillow – Brings Relaxation for Body and Mind
In our opinion, the most soothing thing of all: a pillow on the eyes. Switching off, releasing stress, and relaxing has never been easier since we discovered eye pillows! Definitely not unnecessary frills, but actually a must-have for meditation and yoga.
Due to the gentle pressure an eye pillow exerts on the eyes and the surrounding area, and the darkness it creates, it helps you relax and release stress. An eye pillow helps you find peace faster and more sustainably. That's why our personal heartfelt recommendation: Support your relaxation during Savasana, Yoga Nidra, Yin Yoga and, like us, also when falling asleep or with headaches with a pillow for your eyes!
Our Halfmoon eye pillows with removable, washable covers made of 100% silk are filled with organic wheat berries, lavender, and gemstones. Choose your stone for individual energy support.
The eye pillows can also be used chilled or briefly warmed in the oven or microwave, depending on your needs.
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