What should I wear when practicing yoga?

There are yoga clothes specially prepared for us when practicing yoga. If you wear yoga clothes when practicing yoga, the yoga effect will be better and more comfortable. However, many people do yoga at home without paying attention to the matching of clothes. They think that they can wear anything and practice yoga. However, if you wear random clothes to practice yoga, it will make people uncomfortable during the exercise. What should we wear when practicing yoga?

1. Comfort and naturalness are the main

If you have seen old photos of Indian yogis, you will see that the men (according to Indian tradition, only men can practice yoga) are almost naked, with only their lower bodies wrapped in a piece of cloth. Yes, that's traditional yoga wear. But this kind of clothing is comfortable, but not necessarily appropriate, right?

So, what is better for modern people to wear? In my experience, comfort, naturalness and functionality are the main considerations. Everyone knows that comfort is natural, but what does functionality mean? Because yoga involves many large full-body stretching movements, and not just movements at certain angles. Therefore, if you wear loose and comfortable cotton and linen clothing, it will be ventilated and comfortable, but sometimes you may feel restricted because the fabric has no elasticity. In addition, because our movements may involve standing with our shoulders down or with our head upside down, if the clothes are too loose, they will slide down, exposing the abdomen or legs.

For my part, I wear fabrics that wick moisture away from the skin. Although this material is not a purely natural material, it has one advantage: after sweating, its perspiration absorption property is indeed better than cotton and linen, and it will not stick to the body due to wet clothes, which may cause eczema over time and cause more discomfort. There are many types of moisture-wicking fabrics. I suggest you compare different qualities and choose the ones with finer texture and better elasticity. Some fabrics are made of heavy synthetic fibers, and when you wear them it feels like you are wrapped in thick nylon cloth. This is a very bad choice.

2. Protect your belly button from being exposed

Due to the rapid growth of the yoga population, more international companies are investing in the production and sales of so-called yoga clothing. Some friends may ask, what is the difference between yoga clothes and ordinary rhythmic clothes? In fact, the materials of the two are almost the same, and the styles are similar. It is really difficult to distinguish what is the real yoga clothes. However, I think the biggest difference between so-called yoga clothes and rhythmic clothes is that your belly button should not be exposed as much as possible.

In order to be fashionable and beautiful, many rhythmic gymnastics uniforms are designed with low-waisted pants. Regardless of whether the top is a short sports bra top or a long vest-style top, the belly button will be exposed. Although this is visually beautiful, it is not good for yogis.

Have you ever seen any Tai Chi, Qigong or traditional yoga practitioner exposing their Dantian (navel)? This is because we are very particular about keeping the abdomen exerted and tightened at all times to allow the organs and magnetic field in the abdominal cavity to continue functioning. If such an important door as the navel is exposed to the cold air (even if it is natural wind), it is not good for people who pay attention to health preservation. Therefore, I suggest that no matter whether you wear a longer top or higher waistband pants, make sure to cover your abdomen.

The clothes you wear when practicing yoga must be breathable and elastic. Such clothes will make it more powerful and easier to stretch your legs or arms. What should you wear when practicing yoga? You should also choose sweat-absorbent clothes. If the sweat-absorbent effect is not good, you will catch a cold if you sweat profusely while practicing yoga.