Are your yoga apparels ‘Breathtaking’?

Yoga has come a long way and is undergoing rapid shift especially as a multi billion dollar ‘dressing up to yoga’ industry. While I have been excited to have access to the

variety offered these days, I have no recollection of my early yoga learning days in Sivananda Ashram in India, when I had to scratch my head to dress up for a yoga session. A simple straightforward and casual upper and a pyjama would suffice.

Yoga is in-fact a part of everyday livelihood not a fancy outing to spend a fortune on. After all, the approach of yoga is to ultimately detach from the body and senses.

In the Tradition of yogic I

ndia, we believe body is the vehicle to the soul. A yogi is meant to honor his or her body like a temple to create deeper inner awareness. A sadaka wore unstitched clothing called dhoti and saree for free movement of body and breath work. But as a city dweller, yogi can some where create a change by choosing breathable non athletic yoga wear.

I have no problem with booming yoga

business but only how yoga and yoga clothing specifically have been advertised and sold appealing to the masses for its sexuality, objectifying a women’s body so much so that it is a hindrance to our mental wellbeing. It makes us seem a misfit of sort, struggling to fit in figure hugging Lycra leggings only to gain societal acceptance.

Yoga is a sublime inward journey connecting with our body and mind complex through asana, pranayama and meditation therefore we need to be very particular about yoga hygiene. Keeping clean, mentally and physically, internally and externally is of great value to a yogi. Patanjali Maharishi has specified the importance of Saucha, the Sanskrit term can be literally translated as "purity," "cleanliness" and "clearness," and it covers the cleanliness of body as well as the purity of mind. Even Hatha yoga pradip

ika and many other texts talk about hygiene at length.

Question is why does our brake-less, ‘ plugged in’ Gen Z have a solid penchant towards a synthetic fantasy they like to call yoga.

Yoga postures and pranayama are all about free movements in body for easy flow of blood, exchange of gases,

breathing on cellular level and the list goes on. Honestly, a breathable pyjama and a relaxed tee would win more brownies here as opposed to tight fitted ‘must have’ yoga outfits as overpaid media would like us to believe.

How about walking backwards to unlearn what we consider normal and where do we draw a line?

1. Yoga wear should be breathable.

2. They should not restrict movement.

3. Avoid tops too restrictive or tight around chest and belly for better breathing.

4. They shouldn’t pinch or bind.

5. Choose cottons, soft linens over tight knit materials for better circulation, maintain balance in body temperature, nourishment on cellular level remove toxins from your body. Your body will thank you for a safe environment free from skin rashes or allergies.

So If as a yogi you want to ‘let go’ today, Let go of fussing over skinniness as healthy, forcing your body to fit in, over spending on fashionable yoga apparels and accessories.

Remember to let go of unnecessary obstacle as you belong here to your yoga, as you are of course:)