Wearing loose fitting yoga pants for women can make a difference between a good practice and a distracting one.
The Importance of Freedom
Why is the concept of loose clothing stressed so much in yoga? The answer is simple: range of motion. A yoga practice is designed to stretch your body while at the same time, allowing you to concentrate on your breath and the way your muscles, ligaments, and tendons feel through the asanas. None of that has anything to do with clothing. In fact, the reason many people do nude yoga is to eliminate that distraction.
Clothing can hinder yoga practice in many ways, from the nagging internal critic whispering, Do these pants make me look fat? to the annoying pinching seam as you stretch into Warrior Pose. By keeping the pants loose and comfortable, simple in print and fabric, there are fewer things to distract you from being in your body.
Simply Sublime to Tantric Technology
There is a wide variety of loose fitting yoga pants for women to choose from. The simplest style of all are pants that are nothing more than two cotton rectangles sewn together with a drawstring at the top, such as the Crop Yoga Pants from Lands' End. These kinds of yoga pants can be easily and quickly made by anyone with the most rudimentary sewing skills and a yard or two of fabric.
The choice of fabric is important, though, and a bit of a personal choice. Often it depends on a combination of personal preference and individual physical characteristics. Some people insist on the feeling of natural fibers such as cotton or bamboo against their skin as opposed to lycra or spandex blends, which are artificial.
On the other hand, someone who perspires a lot during his or her yoga practice may want to purchase some pants made of material that will wick away moisture from the skin quickly. Having loose fitting yoga pants will help you during certain yoga practices that are done in high temperatures, such as Bikram Yoga.
Other more high-tech features of some yoga pants include things like flat-sewn seams that will not chafe, wide elastic waistbands for comfort and style, hidden pockets, and styles that combine a flattering line with complete freedom of movement. One of the nice aspects of yoga is that you can fit your outfit to your budget; there is nothing wrong with having a cheap pair of cotton drawstring pants in your gym bag along with UnderArmour Yoga Tech Pants.
Where to Buy Loose Fitting Yoga Pants for Women
Many companies, both athletic and otherwise, produce and distribute lines of yoga clothing. Some, such as Green Dragon and PrAna Yoga Clothing, specialize in clothing lines that are designed for a complete yoga lifestyle, both in practice and in regular street wear. Other companies that produce athletic wear such as Lululemon Athletica carry items that can be used for yoga as well as other active sports such as kickboxing.
However, custom yoga pants like this can be quite expensive. For a bargain, it is often good to check out large online retailers such as Amazon, which becomes a clearing house for many retailers who will offer their pants at a large discount.
One caveat to buying any yoga pants (or any clothing at all) online is that you can't actually try them on. You run the risk of getting fabrics that irritate your skin, legs that are too long, or finding out that the drawstring is uncomfortable or poorly manufactured after it arrives in the mail. While the pants may cost a bit more, the security of knowing they work may be worth a trip to a retail store. Many larger chains such as Target offer lines of yoga wear specifically for women, and the items don't cost much.
Try on a variety, learn what you like and what works for you - and then, if you like, take advantage of the online deals. Remember yoga is not about what you wear - it's about how you practice.
