A short article highlighting the three most important things to think about when buying a yoga mat.

Ow! …… you’re supposed to be serene but, your ankles are digging into the floor, your knees are killing you and your yoga mat stinks. Why did you bother!

But, don’t give up on the asanas yet, just buy yourself a decent yoga mat.

Most of us start off with a cheap, thin, sticky yoga mat from the local sports store. But there’s such a huge range of yoga mats available online – how do you choose?

Here are the most important points -

Safety
Don’t slip up. Make sure your new yoga mat is safe. Decent grip is essential in a yoga mat. Yoga sticky mats grip the floor and provide good grip for your hands and feet but, sweat can be a problem. If you perform the more active or hot styles of yoga you should consider more absorbent yoga mats or yoga towels (these are a thin fabric covering designed to provide extra grip on top of other yoga mats).

General sports workout mats don’t work for yoga. I’ve tried them, don’t waste your money. They tend to be too hard, too soft or too slippery.

There are serious health concerns over the potentially harmful and environmentally damaging chemicals used in some yoga mats. PVC is used in the production of most yoga mats. The manufacturing process is environmentally damaging and the yoga mats themselves can give off toxic chemicals over time (including phthalates). Many of the eco-friendly yoga mats use latex and rubber instead. These are natural products but some people have allergies. New materials are used in some of the premium yoga mats which solve both these problems. Make sure you do your homework.

There is some debate over viral, bacterial or fungal infection from dirty yoga mats and it is possible to buy antimicrobial (Microban) yoga mats.

Comfort
Yoga mats provide a cushion between the hard floor and your body. The thicker the mat you buy for yoga, the more comfortable it will be. Cheap, sticky yoga mats are thin at usually 1/8th of an inch, and your knees and ankles can push through to the floor (ouch). Premium yoga mats are usually 1/4 inch thick and much more comfortable but, if your yoga mat is too soft you lose your balance. Look for a combination of comfort and firmness.

Style
Style is much more than just a choice of plain or patterned. You can go organic, eco friendly, ethnic, natural, bio degradable or high tech, budget or premium, American, European, Japanese, Mexican or even authentic Indian. Patterns and colours are virtually unlimited and you can even have your yoga mat custom designed and printed. Alignment yoga mats are printed with lines to help your posture.

Don’t be limited by size. Yoga mats are usually 2’ by 6’ but you can buy longer yoga mats (good for taller people) and wider yoga mats. Then you have a choice of materials; sticky, eco sticky, cotton, wool, jute, rubber, or even lavender filled fleece and faux leather!

Search the internet, choose what suits you best and make your yoga practice even more of a pleasure.

Oh, and don’t forget the yoga mat bag …………..!

Grow your own natural yoga mat!

Everyone I know started practising yoga with a standard discount sticky yoga mat.  Dirt cheap and easily available you can understand why they are the default choice but, if you care about your health and the future of the planet, you need to think twice before making that purchase.

The majority of discount yoga mats are made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride) most of us are so used to PVC products that we don’t give this a second thought but, we should.  Let me tell you why.

PVC

PVC is one of the most environmentally unfriendly materials ever produced.  It’s starting to be called the ‘poison plastic’. Most European countries have banned certain uses for health and environmental reasons. Most major motor manufacturers are phasing out the use of PVC in motor cars because of the environmental and health implications.

Phthalates

PVC is rigid in its original state so chemicals called phthalates are added (in large quantities – up to 60% by weight) to make the PVC flexible.  The phthalates are not chemically bound to the PVC so they leach out over time.  Phthalates have caused cancer, infertility, testicular damage, reduced sperm count, suppressed ovulation and abnormal testicular development in tests on lab animals.  They may also be linked to asthma and autism and are known to cross the placenta from mothers into developing embryos. These chemicals are constantly leaking out of your PVC yoga mat.

Dioxins

Apart from the phthalate leakage, PVC is apparently safe to use but, PVC production is the largest user of chlorine gas in the world.  Chlorine has some particularly nasty by-products.  Dioxin is one of these and is known to cause cancer in humans and is the most potent synthetic carcinogen ever tested on lab animals.  Dioxins damage the immune system, reproduction, development and the endocrine system and have also been linked to birth defects, endometriosis, inability to carry pregnancies to term and decreased fertility.  There is no ’safe dose’. They are soluble in fat so they build up in the body and concentrate higher up the food chain. They also cross the placenta and concentrate in breast milk.  Dioxins are now so widespread that they are found in the tissues of whales, polar bears and probably every human on the planet.  They do not naturally degrade, so they continue to build up in the environment.

Ethylene dichloride (EDC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) are used in the production of PVC and both cause cancer in lab animals. VCM causes cancer in humans and increased risks of liver, brain, breast and testicular cancer are found in workers involved in production.

Heavy Metals

Mercury is used in the production of chlorine and large quantities are released into the environment.  Mercury causes neurological, developmental and severe reproductive damage.  Other additives can include lead and cadmium.

The saddest thing is that we don’t need to make plastics from toxic chemicals.  Henry Ford was producing plastics from soya beans in the 1930s!

If you still want a PVC discount yoga mat, you can buy them everywhere.  But why would you?  Buy a discount eco friendly yoga mat instead!

See the other articles on my blog for much better choices.

Check the facts here -

Our health and PVC: What’s the connection

Environmental impacts of PVC building materials

Trying not to ruin it