The beauty of yoga is that we don’t need a lot of equipment or expensive gadgets to get into it. In fact, most yoga routines don’t demand any accessories at all.

However, to get the most out of a practice and to bring that studio feeling home, there are few essential pieces which can really make a difference to postures, poses and provide significant benefits.

This week we’ve curated a list of our favourite yoga accessories. These pieces come highly recommended from us, our M Life community and wellbeing experts around the world. They really help up our yoga game and really make the most of a session, before, during and after.

Yoga mat

The last thing we want to worry about when practising yoga is our feet or hands slipping out from underneath us, particularly if we’re moving into poses that require balance and concentration. It’s definitely each to their own when it comes to yoga mats but we are all united by the need for a reliable footing. We recommend the Mehdi mat, an all-rounder and great entry level mat, as well as the M Life linen yoga mat, which is a must have for those of us who want to feel steady and secure, with a touch of style (naturally).

Yoga mat towel

To go with any yoga mat, we recommend a yoga mat towel. Sweat can really interfere with practice and having a yoga mat towel both softens a yoga mat surface (essentially when kneeling or planking on our hands) and helps to keep it dry. 

Yoga block

We’re really grateful for yoga blocks. Not all of us are bendy yogis who can contort ourselves any which way – sometimes certain poses or lengths just aren’t achievable. But yoga blocks help us reach into poses that might not be possible without a platform or height aid and help us extend to perform a pose or posture in a safer and more supported way. Not only do yoga blocks provide increased range, but they can also be used when lying down to support the legs, neck or back, completely relax and get rid of tension.

Resistance bands

Adding a resistance band to a yoga session can help take it that step further by introducing a sculpting, conditioning element. This resistance band helps transform bodies through promiting new levels of intensity, while also offering the chance to improve and deepen stretches before a shavasana. This is important for preventing injury and unifying mind, body and spirit.

Foam roller

Foam rollers are great for building muscle, releasing knots and improving mobility. M Life’s foam rollers come in various shapes and sizes, which can be used to roll out stiffness and soreness across large muscle groups such as legs or tricky areas such as the lower back or neck. Most types of yoga typically offer the chance to stretch and realign, so foam rollers can help build on the good work done in yoga practice and enhance yoga’s various benefits.

Mini massage ball

Self-massage using a mini massage ball is really good for tight spots which are hard to reach, targeting specific points to give a gentle release and dissipate any tension. Massage balls in particular can help aid recovery and also contribute to good mental health, as the act of massage is both relaxing and meditative at the same time. This is one of our favourite pieces of studio equipment because it’s excellent for maintaining physical performance while helping us deal with stress.

Got a favourite yoga accessory? Get in touch here.