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' 💪
I have been wanting to try out the Align tank for a LONG time now as I’ve heard many people rave about it. On top of that, a fitted V-neck silhouette is probably one of my favourite designs in a yoga top. However, if you take a look at the reviews on the lululemon website, you will notice that whilst there are many fans of this top, there is still a decent amount of people who have criticisms of it. Therefore, this sets the scene for an interesting review. Summary The Align Tank is part of the wider ‘Align’ Collection which started with the Align leggings and has now branched out to tops and bras. It has a flattering design, comfortable fabric and light support that carries you through your yoga practice. I personally struggled a bit with choosing the right size, but after testing it out over numerous yoga practices, I can confirm that this tank is a 'Yes' from me.
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!
I recently reviewed the Gymshark Elevate Leggings and whilst ordering these I saw that there was an Elevate Longline Bra that was also designed with yoga in mind. I decided to give this a go as I was drawn to how it looked and I was curious how the two products would work together as a set. Summary Like the Elevate leggings, I think that the longline bra’s greatest asset is how it looks visually. I love the ruched detail at the chest and the fabric that sits flat under the bust is very flattering. The material is soft against your skin and it provides adequate light support for practicing yoga. If you are someone who feels self conscious of your chest/cleavage being exposed then this might not be the top for you as it is a very open design with not the greatest coverage when bending over. Overall it’s a cute crop-top with a few caveats. More detail below!
After recently being introduced to the brand, Kimjaly, which is Decathlon’s answer to yoga wear, I came across this cute crop top that I thought I’d try out. I’m a big fan of pairing crop tops and high waisted bottoms for yoga - mainly because it creates a fun look that allows you to keep cool whilst still being relatively covered up. Summary The Kimjaly Yoga Crop top is a flattering design which is made from a lovely soft fabric. This particular top is part of their premium range so it’s slightly pricer when compared to some of their other products. Kimjaly created this line with advanced yogis in mind and they use technical fabric in order to create long lasting items that provide sweat wicking and breathability. I’d describe this as a quality item that is both stylish and comfortable.
Having recently reviewed the Mallea Yoga Leggings, I was curious to try the Mallea Crop Top, which is made from the same fabric and was also designed for yoga. If you haven’t heard of Bamboo Clothing and their mission to produce more environmentally friendly activewear, then I’d encourage you to check out what they are up to. Summary After wearing this to many yoga classes, I can safely say that I find this to be a very comfortable top. The fabric is, dare I say it, ‘buttery’ soft and whilst it’s a form fitting design, I have never felt restricted in any way wearing this. If you are a yogi who prefers to wear cropped tops or longline bras then this is a great piece of clothing to try out.