Yoga Bag Essentials I Love

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Products marked with an asterisk were provided by the brand.

A while back I was going about my normal weekend business when I caught a glimpse of myself in a store window and thought “I am a walking stereotype right now.” Let me set the scene for you: I’m walking through downtown in a full athleisure gear (yoga pants & a workout top complete with big sunglasses and a high ponytail), carrying my yoga mat & water bottle. It’s incredibly beneficial to learn details like ‘the amount of daily water you need for camping is about 2 gallons per person each day’. That information might also be helpful when it comes to other physical activities such as working out and doing yoga.

As you might have guessed, I was on my way to yoga class – one of the local studios does weekend classes in the art gallery at the 21c Hotel – followed by brunch with a friend. No avocado toast, but we did have mimosas.

Even though the rebellious teenager in me wants to be a little disappointed about that amount of conformity, I’ve decided to embrace it. After all, brunch is delicious and an art gallery is a really cool place to do yoga. So in celebration I present to you: my yoga bag favorites.

I can’t very well do a yoga bag favorites without a yoga mat, but honestly there’s nothing special about this one. Basically anything that has a little bit of cushioning and keeps you from laying right on the floor will work. I think this one came from TJ Maxx, maybe.

On the other hand, I do think the Manduka Equa yoga mat towel (which I got in a PopSugar Must Have box* earlier this year) is pretty nifty. When I ride my bike to class my yoga mat gets rolled up and strapped to my bike rack, so sometimes it gets a little gross, especially if it’s rainy. The towel is big enough to cover the whole mat so I stay clean. Also I can just chuck it in the wash afterward, which is waaaay easier than trying to sanitize my mat every time I use it.

Also vital to my yoga practice: odor control. Not so much for me, mainly for the benefit of everyone who has to be around me. My weekday yoga class is during lunch (when I manage to go, at least) and as I’ve mentioned, I enjoy a good brunch after the weekend one. I don’t feel the need to punish myself with hot yoga, but I still get plenty gross in the regular class. Another perfect occasion for the Whish deodorant swipes I mentioned in my festival essentials.

I’ve also fallen in love with Purequosa body sprays* for after yoga, after biking to work, after taking a nap in a too-warm room… you get the idea. They have anti-bacterial colloidal silver to control the funk instead of just covering it up, and the scents are nice and fresh. Maybe it’s just me but flowery-smelling body sprays remind me way too much of a junior high locker room (honestly, who came up with the idea of making a bunch of 14-year-old girls have gym first thing in the morning?). If only this stuff existed back then. As it is, I’ve got one in my yoga bag, one in my bike bag and one in my purse because the weather right now is making me want to shower about 4 times a day.

Do you yoga? What are your workout staples? Share in the comments <3

Yoga by The Massage Center at the 21c Museum Hotel Lexington