Selecting Yoga Clothes for Yoga Mama

The popular media has recently caught the scent of the growing importance of yoga within the blossoming lifestyle trends towards improving individual health and the wholeness of consciousness.  Some of these articles have made a caricature of the yoga mama portraying only a tiny tip of the iceberg while missing the enormous impact that this lifestyle trend is creating within our society.  But as they say, "All publicity is good publicity" and we all welcome the recognition and attention towards ways to improve our quality of life, health and awareness.

The science, philosophy, practice and art of Yoga are vast. At its basis, Yoga is Union, union with the simplest form of awareness - Pure Consciousness. The many different branches and schools of Yoga all have the same goal: the complete integration and perfect functioning of body and mind.  Because Yoga integrates and strengthens all aspects of our mind, body and awareness, the benefits from the practice of Yoga are wide and far reaching with improvements in cardiovascular efficiency, the respiratory system, muscular and structural flexibility and suppleness, greater emotional and mental balance, increased energy, reduced stress, increased mental clarity, and improved health.

The clothing that you wear when practicing Yoga should help you on the Path and not be a distraction. Your yoga clothing should allow you to move easily and freely in the different asana postures without strain or restriction.  Keep these qualities in mind when selecting your yoga clothing:

• Comfortable.  Yoga clothes should be comfortable enough to allow free movement of various body parts in almost all Yoga poses or positions. Some people prefer loose fitting clothing that allows plenty of room to move and some prefer close-fitting, stretchy clothing with a bit of lycra that won’t get in the way of your movements.  Either can work well and it is largely a matter of choice.  Make sure that your clothing also is suitable to your level of modesty and that as you stretch and bend your clothing doesn’t expose more of yourself than you feel comfortable with.
  When choosing your yoga wear chose clothing made with pure organic cotton or hemp as these provide maximum comfort by allowing the body to breathe properly which is an essential for yoga apparel. Another important feature of Yoga clothes should be sweat absorbency to help keep you dry and comfortable.  Besides being softer, the longer fibers of organic cotton have much greater moisture absorbency than chemically grown and processed conventional cotton.  Hemp has the greatest absorbency of all the natural fibers and is a good choice for yoga and activewear clothing. 
  For ladies, it is wise to invest in a good sport bra which can help considerably with support and comfort. This will enhance and bring self confidence during your yoga practice. Many sport bras are beautiful and can be worn outside the yoga studio also.
• Healthy.   Our desire to improve our health through the practice of Yoga should be supported by wearing healthy, organic clothing. Conventionally grown cotton is the most chemically treated fiber and many of these chemicals are known or suspected carcinogens.  The processing, dyeing and finishing of conventional cotton garments often use toxic chemicals to clean and bleach the fabrics, fasten the dyes, and "improve" the qualities of cotton.  Be especially wary of any finishes for non-shrink, wrinkle-free and "easy care" garments.  These easy care finishes typically are achieved only through the applications of harsh chemical finishes.
• Durable.  The stretching, bending, and twisting of some yoga asanas can strain some seams and fabrics.  Select well-constructed clothing with double seams and durable manufacturing.  The longer fibers of organic cotton and hemp are naturally stronger, wear longer and are more comfortable.
• Life Sustaining.  Practicing yoga will help us establish balance within ourselves and a balanced lifestyle in harmony with our environment.  Part of this balanced lifestyle is acknowledging the right of all people to be paid a fair and just wage for their labors.  When purchasing your yoga clothes look for clothing that has been manufactured in a Fair Trade, non-sweatshop environment.

We have noticed a strong upswing among people of all ages, backgrounds, interests, and abilities to realize the benefits from the simple and easy practice of yoga.  To find yoga classes and instruction in your area, check your Yellow Pages under “Yoga Instruction”, do an Internet search using “yoga class”, or visit one of the yoga directory sites such as YogaFinder or Yoga Journal to locate classes in your locale.

Very, very few yoga mamas buy $700 strollers but all can enjoy the many benefits from the simple, peaceful and enjoyable practice of Yoga.

Enjoy.

Michael
LotusOrganics.com

Comments

[pearl]

Yoga clothes the good gift for mom, that's right.

[Yoga Enthusiast]

Yoga is a great activity for almost everyone, practically any health condition is fine for yoga classes of your level. The great news is that yoga is also suitable for pregnant women, it really is a great way to stay fit during the whole 9 months period. Great article! Thank you!

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[Account Deleted]

Some of these articles have made a caricature of the yoga mama portraying only a tiny tip of the iceberg while missing the enormous impact that this lifestyle trend is creating within our society. The processing, dyeing and finishing of conventional cotton garments often use toxic chemicals to clean and bleach the fabrics, fasten the dyes, and "improve" the qualities of cotton. Part of this balanced lifestyle is acknowledging the right of all people to be paid a fair and just wage for their labors. I have added you to my favorites. And I will continue to pay frequent visits to your blog.

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[Leslie Anne Love]

Thanks so much for the blog post. I wanted to become a yoga teacher so I took a yoga teacher training course. They teach you all the things about yoga, but they don't teach you what to wear! Thanks so much!