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.
The Power Cycling Shorts by Sweaty Betty are one of their most popular styles and they come in several different lengths. Whilst these were not made with yoga in mind, I had previously heard others mention how they enjoyed wearing these to practice in. Naturally, I was intrigued so I thought I’d give these a go! Summary These are a versatile pair of shorts in that they can be used for a range of different activities. Due to the medium compression fabric and sculpting seam lines, they are a durable option that provide you with great support. Since these aren’t specifically designed for yoga, they won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. However, if you are fairly easy going with what you wear to yoga, you might find that these are an excellent pair of shorts that can take you from the yoga studio, to the gym, for a run etc.
NB: The particular shorts reviewed are currently out of stock on the Sweaty Betty website. I will update this review once they become available again.
OK, I'll admit that I sometimes trawl through the Sweaty Betty website considering my next purchase, and the Super Soft Crop Strappy Vest is an item that I had come back to many a time before finally deciding to take the plunge and give it a go. In fact, Sweaty Betty has a whole collection called the Super Soft family which features clothing designed for yoga. If you were interested, I’ve also reviewed the leggings from this range. Anyway - onto this review! Summary The Super Soft Crop Vest was created with yoga, pilates and barre in mind and I must say that It is a thoughtfully designed item. It has lovely soft fabric, a fitted design that still allows you to breathe easily and the strappy back detail creates a fun and interesting feature. All in all, I’m a big fan of this top and I quickly realised that it was going to be difficult to find many faults with it. However, do read on if you are interested in the further nitty gritty details!
The Super Soft 7/8 Yoga Leggings are a high-quality yoga legging that provides comfort, durability, and style. They are made of a soft, breathable fabric that is perfect for yoga. In my opinion, one of the main differentiators with these leggings is that they provide you with a lovely cinched figure due to the particular placement of their seam lines.