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most often done barefoot, great news for those of us tired of carrying a bulky pair of athletic shoes around for after work trips to the gym. Yoga studios will often request that you leave your shoes near the entrance.

Yoga Mats are a must.
In gyms and yoga studios, it's commonplace to use a yoga mat, also called a sticky mat. The mat helps define your personal space, but more importantly, it creates traction for your hands and feet so you don't slip, especially as you get a little sweaty, providing a bit of cushioning on a hard floor. Yoga studios will rent you mats per each class, but usually they had been overused and have sweat in them. It is highly advised that you buy one.

Optional Yoga equipment
There are yoga props come out of the Iyengar style of yoga it teaches that having the proper alignment in the poses is the most important thing, and until the body becomes open enough, students should use props to bring the body into alignment to achieve maximum benefit and avoid injury. Iyengar's use of props has been adopted by many other styles of yoga. If you are begging a home practice, it is highly advised that you purchase them.

Blankets: Grab yourself one or two blankets at the beginning of class. The folded blankets are props to sit and lie on during class. For instance, when sitting in a crosslegged position, it's nice to put a blanket under your sitting bones or elevate the hips above the knees. They come in handy for all sorts of things during class, and if it's chilly you can use them to cover yourself during final relaxation at the end of class.

Blocks: Like blankets, blocks are props to make yourself more comfortable and improve your alignment. Blocks are great for standing poses in which your hand doesn't reach the floor.

Straps: Particularly useful for bound poses if your hands do not reach each other, straps are incredibly helpful. Poses where you need to hold onto your feet but cannot reach them.

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