Add value to your yoga practice and clear your monkey mind by keeping a journal of your sequences, reflections, progress, and experience. Grab a few minutes after savasana or meditation to jot notes, compose a haiku, record a teacher's instruction, sketch a pose, or just organize ideas and impressions to review later. Tempt yourself into a daily practice with the perfect journal for your yoga journey.
Tree of Life
This spiral Tree of Life Notebook features original watercolor art, a page marker ribbon, and an elastic closure to keep things neat. The cover image of the tree of life is a reminder of the interconnectedness of all things -- very yoga. It's a good portable size at 6 X 8.5 inches. The Tree of Life notebook costs $24.00 and is available, shipping-free, from Buddha Grove. One purchaser commented, "Very nice journal crafted in India from scrap fabric. Beautiful, and will make a lovely gift."
Ecofriendly Buddha Journal
Ecofriendly Buddha Journal, from the same Buddha Grove manufacturer, is true to its name. It's a tree-free journal, handmade entirely from recycled cotton and scrap fabric in a fair-trade shop in India. Even the place marker is jute, a renewable fiber. The Buddha Journal has unlined ivory-colored pages, fits in your yoga bag pocket at 6 X 8.25 inches, and costs $18.00, with free shipping from Buddha Grove. Most customers who purchased items from the site were happy with the service and their experience, "This is one of the best online companies I have purchased from. They have gone above and beyond the normal level of customer service."
Namaste 1969
Funky Yoga Recycled Namaste 1969 Yoga Journal won't let you take yourself too seriously, But you can take your journalling seriously in its 96 unbleached, recycled pages. The laminated soft cover comes in tan, brown or black, with a goofy cartoon yogi pretzelled dead-center on it. At 8 X 5.5 inches, it fits in your pocket or your mat bag, so no excuses. The journal goes where you go. Don't miss the heads-up on the back cover: Warning: Yoga has been known to cause health and happiness. Buy it from Yoga Outlet for about $15.00 plus shipping. Promotions and quantity discounts are available, in case your whole studio gets the urge to scribble.
Practice You
Practice You is as much yoga-inspired lifestyle workbook as journal. The nearly 160 pages are stuffed with beautiful watercolor art and question-prompts, notable quotes, and teachings. The decorated pages have plenty of blank space for your own doodles, reflections, and acquired wisdom. This is a larger journal at more than 9 X 7 inches but it's a work of art you might not want to schlep around to your yoga class. Yoga author Hari Kaur Khalsa says the journal is "Simple, direct…plenty of space to wander in wisdom…" and former model and yoga adept Christy Turlington pegs it as "Practice You is the most perfect gift of self-care I can think of." Buy it from IndieBound for about $17.
Moonster's Leather Journal
An antique leather-bound handmade journal from Moonster takes your yoga daily diary to the next level. Sketch, doodle, or write on both sides of its heavy 120 unlined, cream-colored pages. The paper is also hand-crafted with mixed fibers including acid-free recycled cotton. The journal has a soft water buffalo hide cover with antique detailing, asymmetrical flap, and leather closure strap. Beat up the cover for an even more vintage distressed look. It's 8 X 6 inches, but the cover makes it slightly bulky. Customers uniformly loved this journal and almost everything about it. "Love the paper quality and the leather outside. Only complaint is you can't refill it when you use up all the paper." "Would have given it 5 stars if they made it slightly bigger. Love it though." "I like to doodle with pencil and whenever I erase the paper won't stand for it. Fine for pen." Find it on Amazon for about $30 with free shipping and a 30-day money back guarantee. Moonster donates a percentage of profits to Tehila Trust, a child protection organization in Zambia.
Tree-Free Greetings
If you're a vegan yogi, go very green with a pink Om Spiritual Yoga Journal Notebook -- 160 ruled, "Green e-Certified," tree-free, 100 percent recycled pages. All the uncoated paper is manufactured in the U.S. with wind power and processed chlorine-free. The softcover journal is smyth-sewn (a durable single-thread binding used for libraries and textbooks) so it opens flat. The Om Spiritual Yoga Journal features Sanskrit art on the cover and tiny tree sketches in the corner of each page. It measures about 5.5 X 7.5, so it's pretty portable. One reviewer gave it five stars for being "As described. I will order from this vendor again!" Get it from Amazon for about $13, with free shipping on orders of $25 or more.
Practice Made Perfect
A yoga practice is an adventure, one you'll want to chronicle and review long after you've mastered pungu mayurasana, the one-handed wounded peacock pose. Keep your precious notes in a suitable receptacle; a designated journal adds a bit of gravitas and a lot of protection to the one-of-a-kind voyage that is you, on your mat. Whether you choose a take-with or stay-at-home model, pick a journal that mirrors your yoga style and entices you to open it and jot something down.
