Yoga, as we know and have been reading through our different articles, is a balancing act of body, mind and spirit where the “sadhak” tends to move towards the ultimate goal of being one with the ONE that prevades all universe through successive and systematic steps as outlined under various philosophies of the yogic science.

Types of Yoga

We will be discussing the different types of yoga like Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga etc in detail in separate articles, but the yoga which we understand in the common sense of the term is normally associated with different bodily postures which act as the preparatory step towards gearing the body to absorb the infinite ultimately.

The Importance of Instruments

Even though the soul does not need any vehicle or instrument to reach to its final goal, still most of us who are engrossed deeply in the materialistic world do need external aid in one form or the other, infact from a higher perspective, even the body is just an instrument to achieve the purpose of life, which is to attain unity with the Divine.

Yoga Class

Hence no wonder that people should and normally would use external aids or yoga accessories to help in the different asanas which are performed in yoga. These instruments can be classified into different categories. It is not possible to list all such devices in a short article but will try to give a basic introduction to at least a few.

Yoga Mats: a mat forms the base of your yoga practice and helps to attain balance and comfort especially during poses which might require exerting too much pressure on small areas of your body like elbows etc which otherwise would be difficult on hard floor. Mats are available in different types and one should always use a good quality, comfortable mat and keep it clean and clear.

Yoga Mats

Yoga Handles: handles help you to get support especially when doing stretching and similar exercises which otherwise require to you stretch a bit too much which may be nearly impossible for a beginner. Again it is better to use good quality handles lest they break in between an exercise session and hurt you, especially for bulky people.

Yoga Weights: This is certainly a new addition to the field of yoga, something like combining the old with the new to mix and match the advantages of both. Its been observed that doing yoga with weights certain helps one better especially those indulging in this technique for the purposes of body toning and weight reduction. Of course the weights used should be light and not comparable to those used in typical gyms and healthclubs.

Yoga Belts: they are mainly used for doing certain types of poses which require extra stretching or where one is not able to perform the pose manually on their own but need additional support. Needless to repeat these belts should be good quality and durable.

Yoga Belts

There are many other products which can be listed in yoga accessories but will take them up in later articles.

Another Type