The History of Yoga Straps

In the 1960s and 1970s, yogis would regularly use whatever they could find as yoga straps. The yogi Mittra made his own straps by sewing together cloth scraps. Aadil Palkhivala, the future founder of Purna Yoga, used neckties, ropes, and pant belts as yoga straps. Then in the early 1970s, famed yogi B.K.S. Iyengar created the first official yoga strap (sometimes referred to as a yoga belt). It was made from cotton and featured a sliding bar and a metal buckle. Over time, yoga straps slowly caught on. However, while early yoga belts were sturdy, they were often hard to loosen. Modern yoga straps are modeled after Iyengar’s original design but have been made to be easier to adjust and are also typically wider. Today, many yogis use yoga straps as part of their practice.