Yogini's Closet

There are no accouterments necessary to practice yoga but this is America and the "equipment" can start to ring up without you realizing it. For my beginning session at Tamarack, I used a cheap yoga mat that I had purchased when I was practicing Pilates at home. Tamarack Center had a large supply of mats in varying sizes, straps, foam blocks, even silk eyebags. All I needed was my mat, water (Tamarack even supplied water and mugs to drink from), and some comfortable clothing appropriate to downward dog in.

I soon realized that my mat would act unruly as I schlepped it around and I knew it could be easier to carry. Simple. I dug through my old fabric box and made a carry bag from a pattern online. Every bag I saw for sale was at least $20, and as much as $80, for a piece of cloth sewn into a tube with a strap. I am very happy that I made my own bag (next time I'll make it slightly bigger).


Finding the right pants that stayed up but didn't ride up, and allowed for contortions of my body without compromising my ego wasn't hard. Finding the right tank that wouldn't slide up and show off my belly bulge while I had my bum in the air was more challenging. Fine, I know I have a belly, I am supposed to, but I've been getting away with keeping it camouflaged with black t-shirts for years. Nothing tight, not too baggy, just the right size and cut to make anyone not notice it at all. I don't really know if I've succeeded but let's keep pretending. When I continued to find myself pulling at the hem of my shirts during the 90-minute classes, I knew that there must be a solution. I had to start by purchasing a super tight fitting exercise tank that would hold my gut in and allow free movement but also stay in place.

Then there was the issue with cleavage. Not only do I have a belly, I also have boobs. Not little athletic ones and not spinal adjusters, but put me in a tight tank and the girls shout, "Hello!" I am a bit modest about these boobs for several reasons. I am 5'2" and proportionately a little heavy up top. I have always down-played my physical looks because of my need to be known first as an intelligent and strong woman, not as a photograph. Since I've spent the last thousand years avoiding sports and the gym (due to my non-competitive nature), my cleavage-comfort level was being tested. Mostly, other students were blissing out and certainly not focused on what I was wearing, but still, I just didn't want to be thought of as showing too much.

I bought numerous tanks and sports bras but still had to dress and re-dress before every class until I felt comfortable enough to twist that spine and belly until they happily saw the other side of the room.

Once I started going to ZenSpot, which is where hot/Hatha yoga is practiced, I again realized that I "needed" a different wardrobe. Fitted shorts, light-weight tanks and some under-bras were in order. I have only now realized the answer to my most posing (ha, ha) question: why do 90% of the women in my classes wear at least two tanks? To keep everything in place. I found myself wearing a sports bra or an under-bra (not a real bra but something very bra-like but could be worn without a shirt if you had practiced yoga or were a runner for a long time), and a tight tank, maybe another tank if the weather warranted it.

I've previously mentioned that I neglected to bring a towel to my first two hot classes. Do-able but can become awkward and slippery with sweat. To the third class, I brought a bath towel which improved my traction but tended to "ride up" my sticky mat and get out of place quickly. ZenSpot was selling yoga towels for like $45 but I wasn't sure what kind of commitment I could make to these classes (I was exhausted upon leaving) and didn't feel ready to part with more cash after buying 3 new bras and/or bra-like strappy things, shorts, a loose fitting tank, and another tight tank. Now I am finding that these special nubby, anti-bacterial yoga towels can cost up to $80. If I thought I could find a better deal than $45, I will admit, I was wrong.

Have you seen how much designer yoga clothing costs? I guess it's all relative, but for being this ancient system of postures for all bodies, all abilities, I am ready to learn some discipline regarding the fashion of yoga.