Is Yoga Wear Different to Activewear?
Is Yoga Wear Different to Activewear?
Yoga wear and activewear have become synonymous, but are they and should they be? Because it is never just about another pair of leggings, it is about the commitment, the intentions and the hope. Yoga wear reflects they way yoga is different to most other forms of exercise. It is a philosophy about how to live our lives.
Intentions
A yoga practice is different to most other kinds of exercise because they have different intentions. Yoga is not about winning, it is not about competing against an opponent, yourself or a timer. There are no goals set that must be achieved. Yoga is a process into self discovery, a practice that can become a lifestyle. In the process of yoga there is an acceptance of oneself, not a need to transform or to make changes to the body that result in before and after pictures. It is a release of the search for perfection and the ideal of the perfect body that is dictated by our society. The sculpture of the body occurs as a by product of a strong yoga practice rather than being the aim. There is a softening into a one self rather than a hardening of the body .
Often at the beginning of a yoga class the teacher will set an intention for the class. This is often about accepting where you are and surrendering the idea of where you should be during the poses. Yoga wear reflects the soft awareness that is brought to a yoga class. Activewear is designed with the intention of winning, to offer an edge over a competitor even if that competitor is your inner critic.
Lifestyle
Often times yoga start as a physical practice on the mat with asanas, to later transform into something deeper than just exercise, it becomes a lifestyle. Yoga encompasses the mind and the breath and is not simply an exercise regime. It invites you into a way of life off the mat that offers more balance and clarity in all aspects of your life. A more peaceful mind acquired on the mat translates to more joy off the mat.
Values
Once you learn to take care of yourself through a yoga practice. You learn to care about what you eat, what you put on your skin and what you wear. Your values begin to align with your practice. Yoga wear that is environmentally conscious and is made by manufacturers where employees are treated with respect and paid a fair and living wage reflects the values of the yoga lifestyle.
Yoga wear reflects the intentions and values of a yoga lifestyle. Clothes that inspire you to live the life you are creating on the mat. Yoga clothes make you feel comfortable, beautiful and uniquely you. Your intentional yoga clothing and jewellery become a reminder of the path you are choosing each time you practice, allowing your life to blossom to its fullest and create the shifts you want in your life.