Yoga equipment can easily be improvised at home with rolled blankets or firm pillows for bolsters, any kind of belt or scarf for a yoga belt, thick books for yoga blocks, and any floor surface – you don’t even need a yoga mat if you have a carpeted floor!
I recommend 2 to 3 bolsters per person (2 bigger ones, and a smaller one is optional), and 2 to 4 sandbags per person. When buying these things, you pay a good bit in shipping, so there’s some incentive to buy in “bulk” and shop around a little for free shipping deals (like on Amazon).
See below for a few resources.
Mats
If you have a carpeted floor, you may not even need a yoga mat. Here are a few mats if you decide otherwise
Bolsters
Rolled blankets or firm pillows work great for impromptu bolsters. Some poses can even be done on a chair or stool.
Bolsters should be round with cotton fill; foam or microfiber doesn’t work.
Here are the large bolsters I usually get from Yoga Direct. In stock colors have been limited since Covid. The supportive round cotton bolster is the go-to. When they are new they feel HUGE and stiff, but you can remove the cotton stuffing to make it smaller / less firm to fit your needs. I recommend keeping the cotton batting in case you decide you want a firmer one later.
Here are the smaller bolsters which are also very useful. The small round cotton bolster is awesome for knees and occasionally under the head if the bigger ones are TOO big.
Amazon has round bolsters too, BIG ones, same dimensions as Yoga Direct but weighing 9 pounds compared to 6 pounds.
Belts
Any belt or scarf about 6 feet long will work for a yoga belt. These yoga belts are 6 feet long with a buckle.
Blocks
Books approximately 3 inches thick work well for makeshift yoga blocks for hand work.
These are the blocks I use; 3 inch cork or wood is probably the best.
- Foam: Yoga Direct
- Cork: Yoga Direct, Amazon
Sandbags
Sandbags are available through Amazon. They are also available on Etsy, though I have never purchased them from this seller. Since these are 10 pounders, 1 pair per person will go a long way, but you could certainly have more than that to experiment.