Trying new things can be hard. Especially if we are not accustomed to stepping outside of our comfort zone regularly. Therefore, if you have never attended a yoga studio before, it might feel nerve wracking. You may even find yourself thinking some of the following…
What is something that all humans have in common? After decades of interviewing a range of individuals from Barack Obama to Beyonce to top entrepreneur's and everyday folk, Oprah Winfrey shared that at the end of each interview, her guest would turn to her and quietly ask ‘Was that OK?’ It was through these moments that she discovered that most of us are asking the following questions as we move through life:
I'm all too familiar with staying in a 'safe space' of what is familiar or comfortable but I've learnt over the years that I need to become comfortable with discomfort (although this is a daily practice). Particularly when it comes to trying new things. We might stay in our comfort zone for many reasons: fear of looking silly, fear of failure, fear of judgement, fear of truly being seen, fear of not living in the box that we have put ourselves in, or that others have put us in (how obedient of us!) The list goes on. I've discovered however, that once we courageously push through a fear, it's amazing how the force of that fear loses momentum and we realise that the worst part of the experience was fear itself. Often the outcome is a lot more underwhelming than we might have thought! You might ask yourself, Why on earth was I so afraid? The good news is, for that bravery we are usually rewarded in some way. Whether its learning a new skill, building confidence in a certain area, making a new connection, gaining respect for ourselves or from others, or even learning a lesson if things don't go the way we had hoped. Most importantly we strengthen our courage 'muscle' 💪
NB: Sweaty Betty recently updated the 'Gary Yoga pants' to the ' Gaia Yoga Pants'. The below review is reviewing the original product. If you were interested in the new and updated version, i've included links to the Gaia pants in the article below. To kick this off, I’ll admit that I don’t usually like to wear loose bottoms whilst practicing yoga. I’ve always preferred form fitting yoga clothes, mainly because I don’t like fabric bunching and limiting my movement. I also find it quite distracting when the fabric of your clothes shifts and needs to be readjusted. However, I wanted to give the Gary Cropped Yoga Pants a go, simply because they seem to have a firm fan base in the yoga world, particularly in the cropped version. Summary I actually love these pants. Not only for practising yoga, but also for wearing casually. I’ve owned these for 6 months now and have worn and washed them many times and can confirm that they are a quality product. Whilst these are a loose fit, they are not so loose that they are baggy. The fabric is next level soft, and the cuffs on the leg provide a stylish shape. I’d recommend these to anyone who wants some looser pants to practice yoga in, or anyone who is looking for some casual bottoms to wear out and about.
If I’m being completely honest, I usually only wear leggings to practise yoga in (in terms of my lower half) so these cropped bottoms were a little out of my comfort zone when purchasing. However, whilst browsing the Decathlon yoga range, I couldn’t help but notice just how highly rated these were. This of course piqued my interest and I’m glad that it did. The Kimjaly brand is Decathlon’s answer to yoga clothing and having now owned and worn these bottoms I’m looking forward to trying other items that they have to offer. Summary The Kimjaly Cropped Bottoms are a lovely soft piece of clothing for practicing yoga in. There is absolutely nothing restrictive about them as they are designed to be a loose fit against your body. I really appreciate how versatile they are around the mid section due to the waistband that can be pulled up high or folded down. This garment is so stretchy and soft that it can also be worn during pregnancy. If comfort is a high priority to you when selecting yoga wear then these cropped bottoms are certainly an item to keep in mind.