Many people around the world love to take part in yoga, for both their mental and physical wellbeing. Yoga is a fantastic form of exercise, capable of strengthening muscle, improving flexibility, and even contributing to weight loss. However, this activity is also very relaxing and used by many as a form of meditation. No matter your reasons for trying yoga, there are many different poses and styles, some of which include additional equipment. For example, yoga sandbags are a cheap, easy to use accessory to incorporate into your yoga routine. Keep reading to learn how to make yoga sandbags.
How to make yoga sandbags
It is fairly straightforward to make yoga sandbags, however you should take care not to overfill the sandbags or make them too heavy. Many yoga poses involving sandbags may require you to lift or place the sandbags on your body, so take caution with how heavy you make the sandbags. It’s better to start lighter, and add more filling as you become more confident using yoga sandbags.
Filling your yoga sandbags
One of the quickest, cheapest, and easiest ways to make yoga sandbags is simply to fill a hessian sandbag with a material of your choice. Of course, the most obvious choice of filling would be sand, however this isn’t essential for yoga sandbags if you don’t have any to hand. There are in fact a number of different materials available to fill your yoga sandbags, some of which you may not have thought of before. An easy substitution is to use rice and/or beans to fill your sandbag – these are items that most people may have stored away in their cupboards. This definitely doesn’t mean tinned baked beans; stick to dry beans such as kidney or pinto beans for filling your yoga sandbags. A slightly more unconventional way to fill yoga sandbags is to use cat litter – unused, obviously. Cat litter is cheap to buy in bulk and can be easily used to fill a sandbag. It often smells pretty nice, too.
It’s important to point out that while pretty much any filling will do for yoga sandbags, if you intend to prevent flood damage with sandbags, then sand should always be used. This is because yoga sandbags only act as a weighty prop to use during yoga, whereas sandbags for flooding need to be incredibly resistant and absorbent. So, don’t attempt to use your yoga sandbags for other purposes unless they are filled correctly with sand.
Decorate your yoga sandbags
If you want your yoga sandbags to act as an attractive accessory for your yoga room, then you may want to incorporate beautiful colours or patterns. If you already have sandbags that you want to add a little flair to, then consider using different decorative braids to embellish your yoga sandbags. Baker’s twine or decorative ribbon twine can also be used to add a charming sense of decoration to your yoga sandbags. Use a hot glue gun to secure your decorative ropes to the borders of your yoga sandbags, or use them to create unique patterns.
Alternatively, you could create a case for your sandbags from coloured hessian rolls. These rolls are made of the same material as the sandbags, so would also add an extra layer of protection to prevent any bursts or spills from occurring. These cases can also be decorated in the ways we mentioned above, or you could use the coloured rolls to add embellishments to the yoga sandbags. Get as creative as you’d like!
For those of you who enjoy more complex crafts, why not create a macrame sandbag cover? Macrame cord comes in a variety of colours and is also durable, meaning your yoga sandbags will stay looking amazing after many uses. Macrame can be a relaxing and therapeutic hobby, so it pairs perfectly with regular yoga, too.
How to use yoga sandbags
Now that you have a practical new set of yoga sandbags, it’s time to put them to use. Don’t worry if you’re a beginner to yoga or using yoga sandbags, as we’ll highlight a few different ways to use yoga sandbags now. Remember – if a part of your body feels like it’s being pulled too much, remove the sandbag.
- In Child’s Pose, place a sandbag on your sacrum and breathe deeply.
- Place a sandbag on each shoulder to enhance heart opener poses.
- Try putting sandbags on your thighs to improve the external rotation of your legs.
- Place a sandbag on your hands to keep your fingers flat in certain poses.
Hessian is a strong, durable material that’s perfect for use in so many different crafts and home projects. Take a look at all of our stunning yet practical products, or contact a member of our team to discuss your needs.