5 Best Yoga Blankets and The easiest way to Use Them to Help Your Yoga Apply

Key Takeaway

Uncover how yoga blankets enhance comfort, assist, and warmth in your alter to, plus the right picks to buy.

There’s nothing elevated than curling up beneath a warmth cozy blanket by a winter fireplace and sipping a mug of tea. Nonetheless plainly evidently blankets would possibly very properly be amazingly useful props in order so as in order so as to add to your yoga alter to as effectively. 

A yoga blanket is a transparent assist in poses like Seated Forward Fold (Paschiomottanasana) and a further cushion in your bones and joints in poses like Cat/Cow. It moreover helps yogis keep warmth in prolonged meditation or yin yoga poses. 

As a yoga teacher, I’ve found that utilizing yoga blankets in my class makes newbies further cosy and relaxed. Blankets merely often carry that cozy aura with them whatever the place they go. 

Let’s dive into what makes a blanket actually a “yoga blanket”, uncover strategies to utilize them to bolster your yoga alter to, and the best yoga blankets you can purchase. 

What’s a Yoga Blanket, Anyhow?

A yoga blanket is a single-layered piece of fabric that’s not too thick nor too skinny. They’re often barely thicker than widespread blankets and are in a position to be folded or rolled for added assist in yoga asanas. 

Yoga blankets have been spherical for 1000’s of years. BKS Iyengar wrote in The Illustrated Delicate on Yoga {{{{that a}}}} folded yoga blanket laid on a stage flooring is the best base for a yoga alter to. 

The Principal Benefits of a Yoga Blanket embody:

• Together with warmth in relaxed poses
• Cushioning joints and bones
• Together with prime to seated poses (assist the as quickly as additional)
• Assist in flexibility and differ of motion
• Altering widespread yoga props

The Historic earlier and Significance of Yoga Blankets

The rich historic earlier and significance of yoga blankets are usually uncared for. They play a job contained within the customized of yoga, offering not solely comfort however moreover a connection, to the earlier.

Yoga has existed for a lot of of years, with practitioners using blankets to create a barrier between themselves and the underside. These simple, crucial devices supplied warmth and assist all by way of their alter to.

Over time, yoga blankets have reworked into devices that may enhance selections of your yoga routine. Whether or not or not or not or not used for added assist in poses or as a gift of warmth all by way of meditation, they’ve change into a part of the alter to.

By incorporating a yoga blanket into your routine, you pay homage to the rooted traditions of yoga. Put together a reference to its historic origins. No matter being a bit of fabric, it carries historic worth.

Everytime you attain in your yoga blanket, be conscious its significance as elevated than an adjunct—it serves as a bridge to the earlier and an indispensable a part of your alter to.

Excessive 5 Best Yoga Blankets

Best Pure Cotton Yoga Blanket: DEMMEX Pure Cotton XL Diamond Weave Turkish Cotton Blanket

No particular person desires to worry about nasty synthetic dyes or toxins in a blanket they plan to place their face on or sit once more with all by way of yoga. This taking part yoga blanket is made with 100% GOTS (Worldwide Pure Textile Customary) licensed pure Turkish cotton and pure plant dyes. It is clear adequate to take advantage of as a towel and good adequate to positioned on as a shawl. 

Execs

• Absolutely pure and toxin-free
• Good clear and good Turkish offers
• Double knotted tassels to substantiate it doesn’t unravel
• Dense weave for extra assist
• Multipurpose use as towel, seaside blanket, scarf, and extra
• Quick-drying and absorbent 

Cons

• Might want piling or shedding on account of pure fibers (washing with a cup of white vinegar helps) 

Best Mexican Yoga Blanket: Benevolence LA Precise Mexican Blanket

This maintain the necessary Mexican serape blanket is vibrantly vibrant, clear, and even fabricated from recycled eco-friendly affords! For yoga, this blanket is high-quality, breathable, and easily transportable. It affords mid-level assist when folded and an extreme quantity of warmth for early morning or exterior meditation durations. 

Execs

• Recycled acrylic and cotton offers are eco-friendly 
• Lightweight (about 3 lbs)
• Dense and made-to-last
• Socially acutely conscious firm mission to wrestle for equal water entry in poverty stricken areas

Cons

• Acrylic stays to be a man-made (non-biodegradable) offers
• Twin measurement is also too small for a number of of us

Best Massive Indian Yoga Blanket: Halfmoon Yoga Blanket 

All through the occasion you’re in search of a significant Indian yoga blanket, this Halfmoon Yoga Blanket could be very clear, pretty, and purposeful. It is cushioning and supportive in poses and trendy when being saved. These blankets are thicker than they seem and notably high-quality. Their sturdiness lends itself effectively to many makes use of, from yoga to tenting to a seaside blanket. 

Execs

• Tender and intensely cosy 
• Handwoven in India
• Aesthetically pleasing as a throw or accent blanket
• Versatile for out of doors use at seashores or parks
• Selvage edges make easy to fold or roll flat
• Lightweight (about 2.7 lbs)

Cons

• Not pure cotton
• Mid-range worth diploma 
• Requires delicate wash cycle and hanging to dry 

Best Meditation Blanket: Lotuscrafts Yoga Blanket 

All through the occasion you’ve truly not tried Savasana beneath an beautiful clear meditation blanket, you’re missing out. The Lotuscrafts yoga blanket often is a rug to positioned on, a cushion in your knees, or a transparent overlay on the tip of a protracted alter to. This blanket is as eco-friendly, skin-friendly and comfy due to it might properly get. 

Execs

• 100% pure cotton and non-toxic dyes
• Eco-friendly and made beneath truthful working conditions 
• Good clear and skin-friendly for these with allergic reactions
• Massive measurement fits most individuals
• Enticing simplistic design 

Cons

• Thinner than totally completely totally different producers
• Is not going to be as so much cushion for joints

Best Easy Machine-Washable Yoga Blanket: Open Avenue Units Handmade Protected Yoga Blanket

The minimalist laundry-doers (like me) likely don’t want any further refined washing requirements added to their yoga laundry. This blanket would possibly very properly be thrown in any wash cycle and even will get softer after each wash. It is thick, pretty, XL in measurement, and actually cozy on the knees. 

Execs

• Regular Mexican sample blanket
• Tender, thick, and supportive
• XL measurement (80” x 50”)
• Handwoven in Mexico 
• Merely machine washable- nothing refined and nothing to worry about!

Cons

• Synthetic affords simply is not going to be as eco-friendly

Use A Yoga Blanket

Cushion Your Knees, Elbows and Wrists

All through the occasion you’ve ever questioned how yogis defend poses like Low Lunge, Hen Canine, or Camel Pose for an extended interval with out their knees screaming at them- you’re not alone! As a rule, solely a yoga mat isn’t adequate for bony joints. 

Merely folding a yoga blanket beneath your knees or elbows takes the stress off your fragile joints so that you simply simply presumably can income from the ability and stretch the place it’s meant to be (contained within the as quickly as additional, core, arms, and so forth.)

Even in a pose as simple as Cat/Cow pose, a blanket works wonders. Over time, joints inevitably will change into stronger and extra resistant. Nonetheless, yoga blankets make these poses further accessible to newcomers along with children or aged school school school college students. 

As a yoga teacher, I always defend a yoga blanket accessible to degree out simple modifications to poses which could be exhausting on knees, elbows, or wrists. 

do Cat/Cow with a Yoga Blanket:

1. Fold the blanket and uncover the right thickness in your physique. Be totally glad to experiment with numerous totally totally completely totally different folds to get it acceptable.
2. Swap into all-fours, inserting your knees on prime of the blanket about hip-width apart and at a right-angle beneath your hips. 
3. Arms need to be shoulder-width apart and stacked in response to the wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Head is neutral.
4. For Bitilasana (cow pose), inhale and arch the spine, pushing the abdomen throughout the course of the underside and searching up. Press the knees into the blanket for stability.
5. For Marjaryasana (cat pose), exhale and curl your spine upward to the ceiling like a cat, pulling the best and sit bones down throughout the course of the underside. 
6. Return to a neutral table-top spine and launch. 

Help Creating Flexibility

It’s always a bit intimidating when superior yogis merely slip into Pigeon Pose or a full lower up. “Will my hips ever be that open?” it’s doable chances are you’ll find yourself contemplating.

In comes the yoga blanket! By tucking a blanket beneath your butt, you presumably can take pleasure in hip-opening poses for extra time and with further comfort. Take into accounts the yoga blanket as your instructing wheels on the journey throughout the course of hip-opening. 

Use a Yoga Blanket to Loosen Hips: 

1. Tightly roll up your yoga blanket.
2. Place instantly beneath hips or butt whereas in a hip-opening pose.
3. Use a block or one completely totally different yoga blanket to boost the forehead or forearms.
4. Sit back into the opening.

Warmth Comfort in Savasana and Meditation

Aside from scorching yoga, many yoga studios (or just your mattress room) can get somewhat little bit of bit chilly while you stop transferring spherical in your asana flows. 

Everytime you propose to stay in a meditative pose for an extended time interval, it helps to deal with the muscle tissue warmth and comfortable so that you simply simply presumably can focus in your breath and psychological stillness. The slight little little little little bit of stress from a blanket on prime of your physique is further stress-free, inciting a primal comfort very like being swaddled at present. 

The hardest half simply is not falling asleep! 

Add Peak and Pelvic Tilt in Seated Poses

Many school school school college students uncover it sturdy to deal with their spine completely straight in a seated place. We likely have know-how and trendy sedentary life to thank! Since these two can’t be immediately mounted, a yoga blanket is the correct decision in the intervening time. 

A folded yoga blanket beneath your hips actually barely shifts your pelvic tilt and provides prime to the as quickly as additional of the physique. This makes the spine lengthen and straighten with none further effort. 

Alignment is so important for stopping accidents and establishing vitality, so I wish to advocate lifting the hips to beginner and superior yoga school school school college students alike. As shortly as further, it’s important to to experiment with totally totally completely totally different folds and heights which could be most attention-grabbing in your physique.

Attempt a folded yoga blanket beneath the hips in Seated Forward Fold (Paschiomottanasana), Workers Pose (Dandasana), Easy Pose (Sukhasana), Half Lotus (Ardha Padmasana), or any seated asana in need of somewhat little bit of bit pelvic tilt for a straighter spine. 

Substitute for Widespread Yoga Props

A yoga blanket is after all a further transportable (and typically cheaper) fairly a number of to widespread yoga props like blocks and bolsters. It brings the underside nearer like a yoga block and affords softer assist than a bolster. You presumably would possibly even use it as a yoga mat when in a pinch! 

Yoga blankets are so versatile. Roll it, fold it, or put it beneath your as quickly as additional, neck, or joints for padding and opening.

Yogis with a rising little one abdomen would possibly uncover optimistic poses like Toddler’s Pose (Garbhasana) or Pigeon Pose (Eka Rada Rajakapotasana) to be highly effective or uncomfortable. 

A folded or rolled yoga blanket offers prime when positioned beneath the forehead, giving further area for that tender pregnant abdomen. A blanket may even merely act as a transparent cushion instantly beneath the stomach.

How To Choose A High quality Yoga Blanket

Everyone seems to be acutely aware of how flimsy, toxic, unsustainable, and itchy an inexpensive blanket would possibly very properly be. A high quality yoga blanket need to be sturdy, clear, well-woven, and fabricated from prime quality non-toxic affords which could be good for the setting along with the people who made the blanket and the people who will use it. 

Listed beneath are our prime concepts for choosing a high quality yoga blanket and our time-tested favorites for Yoga Nomads:

Offers

Most yoga blankets are fabricated from wool, cotton, synthetic fibers, or a mix of these offers. Ponder your native native climate, desired cushion, washing frequency, and texture preferences to search out out on the best yoga blanket offers. 

Wool

Wool is probably primarily most likely probably the most dense, sturdy, and comfortable of all blanket affords. Moreover it’s almost definitely primarily most likely probably the most sustainable on account of cotton requires so much land and water, whereas sheep would possibly very properly be repeatedly sheared all by the season.

Wool blankets might want piling (pulling out of the fibers) over time or with washing. Nonetheless they’re very sweat and moisture resistant. 

Cotton

Cotton yoga blankets are the commonest and are moreover very sturdy. Pure cotton is most attention-grabbing, if you happen to occur to happen to could uncover it. 

Cotton could also be very clear on the physique, nonetheless not pretty as dense and supportive as a wool blanket. Cotton yoga blankets would possibly shrink when washed, so it is best helpful wash or use chilly water.

Blended Offers

Supplies blends paying homage to polyester and acrylic are almost definitely primarily most likely probably the most fairly priced yoga blankets. They’ve brighter colors and are often made with recycled affords.

The draw as soon as extra to blended synthetic offers is the potential of microplastics or a chemical odor on the time of purchase.

Kind

There are about as many yoga blanket varieties as there are yoga mats or yoga leggings. A yoga blanket is an surroundings pleasant reply to degree out off your signature yoga vibe in a purposeful methodology. 

Mexican Baja Blankets

Mexican or “Baja” blankets are what usually come to ideas when any specific particular person says “yoga blanket”. As shortly as as shortly as further, the well-known BKS Iyengar is claimed to have launched Mexican yoga blankets to the USA and they also even have since change into widespread in just about every yoga studio.

Handmade Mexican blankets are cosy, pretty, bohemian, and will likely be found a wide range of colors. They’re moreover thick and dense for quite a lot of cushion on the mat. They often embody fringe, which may fray or get in considered one of many best strategies over time. 

Indian Yoga Blankets

Indian blankets are usually hand-loomed cotton from India. They’re further tightly knit than Mexican blankets and don’t often have fringe. 

Felt Yoga Blankets

Wool felted yoga blankets have almost definitely primarily most likely probably the most “give” of all the yoga blanket varieties, which suggests they may deflate a bit beneath stress. Nonetheless, they’re warmth and thick and work excellently when folded a variety of circumstances. 

Measurement

An an an identical to a towel, too large is always elevated than too small. Try to hunt for a yoga blanket that is large adequate to cowl your physique in Savasana. Most people will uncover a typical twin measurement yoga blanket to be acceptable for his or her desires, nonetheless there are a variety of larger ones accessible. Merely consider that it is important to have the pliability to fold, roll, and cover with the identical supplies. 

The Environmental Impression of Yoga Blankets

Yoga blankets can affect the setting primarily based totally on their affords. How they’re made. As an illustration, typical cotton farming makes use of a wide range of water and pesticides, which could damage ecosystems and wildlife. Then as quickly as additional, synthetic affords like polyester are constructed from gasoline and can launch microplastics when washed.

It’s not all data. Many firms that make yoga blankets are starting to utilize these methods. Pure cotton, recycled affords, and pure dyes have gotten selections. These alternate selections vastly in the reduction of the affect. Give yogis a technique to alter to in response to their values of defending the Earth.

Selecting a yoga blanket can have an impact. It’s a step that contributes to the movement throughout the course of caring for our planet. So everytime you’re in search of a yoga blanket, think about its environmental affect.

It’s a method to make it doable in your efforts convey outcomes for every your self and the group.

Revenue from a Further Supported and Cozy Yoga Observe!

Have you ever ever ever ever tried together with a yoga blanket to your alter to or your yoga functions? It’s gorgeous how a simple piece of fabric could make elements so much further cosy and comfortable.

Namaste!