Doing Yoga is indeed a very beneficial routine or way of exercise to do – not just to improve one’s physical health but also to improve the mental and spiritual stability of a person. It originated from the Indian tradition and has been around since around 3000 BCE, which later influenced the western region and now the whole world. This practice is popular with health enthusiasts’ individuals – mostly women, although the person behind Yoga’s popularity and success is a male named Swami Vivekananda, an Indian Hindu monk. This practice aims to improve a person’s health as a whole, a crucial side of life right now, and must be given full attention due to the world’s situation facing the pandemic. The Yoga community is also affected and continuously adapting to the current situation by using a face mask to prevent the spread of the disease. They commonly called it “Yoga face masks“. In this article, we will learn what kind of mask they prefer to use and its varieties.
The most common type of mask is the surgical mask, frequently used by health-related professionals during their operations to prevent infection while doing their work. It is the best face mask to use right now, but it is not always available because of its high demand worldwide, making its supply very limited. However, a surgical face mask is not advisable to use while doing physical activities as it quickly accumulates sweat overtime and can create discomfort while doing Yoga. Nonetheless, people are now so eager to move around and slowly do what they are used to do before Yoga and some other exercises; that is why face-masks manufacturers are working to make a suitable face mask for any type of workouts.
Factors to Consider Before Buying Yoga Face Masks
Before choosing or creating a mask to use for Yoga, one must consider the different factors that are essential in having a safe and effective mask. Below are some of the factors:
Breathability
Yoga is being done through some sort of routine and meditation, which involves more breathing exercises. That is why the mask must offer a breathable experience for the user to safely and correctly do his or her activity. Some face masks exhibit an increase in temperature over time, thus creating sweat and, eventually, discomfort.
Comfort
Meditation is acquiring inner peace, making an individual feel comfortable with what he or she feels inside and out. This comfort might be affected by what a person wears, which makes the choice of material for the mask crucial. Polyester fabric or cotton materials are widely used in making face masks. The mask must not easily get wet while doing certain tasks, and it should fit properly with the person’s face who will be using it.
Re-usability
The mask is better when it is reusable. It will not just save money but also gives an environment-friendly approach. Although it will require effort in cleaning it to be used again safely, it is a very sustainable approach. Moreover, the user must properly disinfect it after use.
Different Types of Yoga Face Masks
No doubt, it is really a big change for us wearing a face mask every day, but we are obliged to use it to prevent ourselves and the people around us from the danger of spreading the virus. Whether we like it or not, we must use it for everybody’s sake. Now that we finally know what factors to be considered, below are some varieties or types of masks that we can make.
Three-layered face mask
Two or three-layered face masks are the most effective mask to ensure protection from bacteria or viruses. There is also a two-layered face mask that can be customized by putting tissue or any sort of filter material to create another layer of protection. This type of face mask is commonly washable and can be used again.
Adjustable face mask
This is a more personalized type of mask where the mask’s straps can be adjusted accordingly by the users’ personal taste. Comfort-wise, it is the best choice as we no longer be concerned if it may fit properly in the user’s face. The fit must be right in using the face mask in order to maximize its purpose. This is also washable and reusable and can be made in a three-layered type of mask.
These are just a few out of several types of face masks available out there in the market. Now, there are more people who are getting creative in their ideas of making face masks as some are making DIY face masks at home. A yoga face mask can possibly be made at home, given the proper material and knowledge of making it. It could be done with designs that resemble any of Yoga’s principles and practices. But before creating a customized face mask at home, one must really pay attention if it is properly made and safe to use.
After knowing the factors and the possible framework of the mask we should make and be able to use, it is safe to admit that it is really a crucial task to have a well-filtered type of mask that can also provide a really breathable experience for its users.
For the Yoga community, their practices must continue whether an individual chooses to use a mask or not; Yoga can be done alone, and we can do it at home without using a mask. The Yoga face mask is only advisable to use if and only if an individual who is doing Yoga is with someone else. The experience of wearing a face mask is really not that easy because our breathing seems to be blocked or inhibited by the cloth in front of our nostrils. But in these trying times, wearing a face mask and keeping our body healthy is our current weapon in protecting ourselves from any type of bacteria or viruses, may it be in our work, or in doing the stuff we are used to – like Yoga.
