Hello beautiful human!

So you are starting yoga… first off, I’m proud of you. It’s not easy stepping into your first yoga studio. Trying anything for the first time can be terrifying. I’m glad you are here though!

Word of advice: You are going to do great, your heels don’t need to touch the mat in downward facing dog, you don’t have to be flexible, and all the yogis you see doing super complex poses were once at the starting line too!

In today’s blog I’m going to discuss why blocks are necessary, why it’s a good idea to utilize straps, and why you don’t need the best yoga mat on earth starting your yoga journey.

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Alright, this is a big one. No matter how popular yoga gets, blocks still seem to be on the backburner. WHY? Blocks make other poses accessible to you and they are great for making sure you don’t push yourself too far and end up injured.

If you are brand new, you probably want to be able to straighten your legs when you forward fold. I’m here to tell you it does not matter. I have been practicing yoga on and off for 6 years before my yoga teacher training and I still don’t have straight legs in a forward fold.

If you take away anything from this post, at the very least take away the fact that you do not need straight legs! You need a straight spine (for the most part), you need to feel a back side body stretch, and you need to breathe. Focus on those three things, you are golden.

Woman using yoga strap. Istock photo

I will be the first to admit that I need to use my straps more. I tend to practice hot…