What to Wear to Yoga: Short Shorts & Bra Tops for Your Yoga Lifestyle

There are lots of reasons to practice yoga.  What motivates each of us to practice is a personal decision that influences the type of yoga we practice and what we ultimately gain for our experience.  Whether your pursuit of yoga is an athletic one or a method for spiritual enlightenment, we never want your yoga wardrobe choice to keep you from you mat.

Here at The OM Collection, we strive to provide functional fashion that keeps you feeling good on and off your yoga mat. This is the first in a series of blogs on what to wear to yoga to assure that your wardrobe never dissuades you from finding your bliss.  This series will include a candid discussion on what to wear for different styles of yoga and room temperatures, what cuts work for certain body types and modesty levels, and what is appropriate attire for yoga teachers and students in a class setting, as well as at festivals. Additionally, we hope this blog series helps you find the perfect holiday gifts for the yogi and yogini in your life.

Show More Skin:  The benefits and drawbacks to short shorts and yoga bras.

The most important thing about what you wear to yoga is being comfortable.  Learning to feel good in your skin can take time.  Honor and respect your modesty level, and only show as much skin as you are truly comfortable with. 

That said, when practicing hot yoga, such as Bikram Yoga, the temperature alone can warrant shedding some layers.  We recommend wearing short shorts and a bra top in hot yoga.  Additional benefits of wearing less clothing include the ability to see muscle engagement and alignment.  While certain types of yoga frown upon looking in a mirror, Bikram yoga and many hot forms of yoga encourage it.  It can be very useful see your muscles firing in order to diagnose asymmetries in the body, while practicing such poses as utkatsana, “chair pose.” Yoga teachers, if you are giving a demo on muscle engagement, show your students what you are doing.  Wear a pair of shorts and explain how to articulate a particular muscle group. 

To accomplish this look, our recommendations include The OM Collection’s Hooping and Hot Yoga Tie Shorts or The OM Collection's Ashtanga Yoga Fold-over Shorts. We've designed both of these shorts to be as short as possible without revealing any unmentionables. Up top, try our Fusion 4 Strap Bra.  This demi bra is both cute and functional, featuring four crossed straps in the back to alleviate pressure on the shoulders, and a delicate keyhole in the front for style. For men, the Men’s Verve Hanuman Shorts

One concern with exposing skin while practicing yoga is sweat.  Exposed sweaty limbs can become slippery.  Keeping a towel near by can be helpful, but determining whether you enjoy sliding in to bound poses, or whether you need a solid grip for arm balances or twisted postures can influence your decision to expose skin or stay covered. 

Finally, do you or a loved one practice AcroYoga? An Acro Yoga fashion tip is to wear a pair of short shorts over a pair of leggings.  Not only is this a cute style with a touch flare,it also protects against any unwanted exposure.  Working with a partner is fun and exciting but it can also be intimidating, the last thing we want is to bare a see-through bum to the world.   Whether you are performing Acro Yoga and need a costume, or are simply playing with a friend in the park, try our OMBooty Bloomer Shorts over our Simple Fold-over leggings for a playful and functional look. Check out our Pinterest Board with our favorite yoga shorts and bra tops.

What you choose to wear to your yoga practice should make you feel comfortable and able to be present on your mat. When do you wear shorts to yoga? When do you choose to be more covered? We want to know, comment below.

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