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!

A short article giving you some pointers to buying the best eco mat for yoga.

Here are six of the best eco friendly mats for yoga that won’t damage your health or cost the earth!

BEAN PRODUCTS
Bean Products Inc has been proudly manufacturing eco friendly yoga mats in the USA since 1987. Based in Chicago, IL, they describe themselves as “passionate about our planet and crazy about comfort”.

Their Extra Thick High Density Clean PVC Yoga Mat is long at 72 inches and double thick at ¼ inch (6.3mm). It comes in a range of colors and is also washable. This eco yoga mat is a low priced, high performance, easy care, premium eco yoga mat that is environmentally friendly. It is manufactured using an ecologically safer method of production and is made of PER (Polymer Environmental Resin). It does not contain dioxins, toxic phthalates or heavy metals.

AURORAE
Dennis Ingui, President of Aurorae started this New Jersey based company from the passion he developed for yoga as a cancer survivor nine years ago.

The Aurorae Eco Yoga Mat is 72 inches long, ¼ inch thick and comes in a range of colors with a focal point icon to aid concentration. It’s manufactured from a newly designed eco friendly material and is good value, easy to care for and durable. Machine washing on a hot setting is actively encouraged to break this eco yoga mat in.

MANDUKA
Based in California, Manduka have been producing what is generally recognised as the ultimate mat for yoga for the last ten years. If you want the best, and don’t mind paying for it, many people think this is it.

The legendary Manduka BlackMatPRO Yoga and Pilates Mat is so durable it carries a lifetime guarantee and is well known for its dense cushioning and fabric finished non slip surface. It comes in 71 inch and 85 inch lengths, is 26 inches wide.  The Manduka BlackMatPRO though, is a heavy yoga mat, ¼ inch thick and weighing 7lbs (making it less transportable than lighter mats).

The company is firmly committed to environmentally friendly production but, the BlackMatPRO does include PVC.  However, it is so durable that you may only ever need one Manduka BlackMatPRO.  This is arguably better for the environment than buying and throwing away possibly several yoga mats over your lifetime.  Manduka also produce a more eco friendly natural rubber and sea-grass mat known as the Manduka eKO Yoga Mat

JADE YOGA
Jade Yoga grew out of Jade Industries, a company that had been making non-slip natural rubber products since the early 1970s and developed the Harmony, the first natural rubber yoga mat, in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

Jade Yoga’s most popular premium eco yoga mat, the Jade Harmony Professional Yoga Mat comes in either 68 or 74 inch lengths and is 3/16 ths of an inch thick providing a good balance of traction and cushioning. It is made of natural rubber and contains no PVC.

AGILE
Agile Fitness was founded By New Yorker, Jim McDade, in 2006 and is dedicated to providing home workout programs via the internet but also produces exercise equipment.

The Agile Fitness Eco Yoga Mat is made of recyclable TPE, so it’s PVC-free, latex-free, durable, lightweight and biodegradable. It’s a comfortable yoga mat, ¼ inch thick, 24 inches wide and 68 inches long.

NATURAL FITNESS
Chicago based and founded in 2007 to provide a response to the low quality and environmentally harmful products seen in yoga and pilate’s studios.

The Natural Fitness Professional Natural Rubber Yoga Mat is, of course made of rubber and is 24 Inches wide by 69 inches long and 3/16 inch thick. This eco friendly yoga mat comes in a variety of two tone colors and is natural and bio-degradable.

All of the above are eco friendly yoga mats and they range in price from around $15 to getting on for $100.

Most of these companies sell their eco yoga mats direct to the public or through any the hundreds of online yoga supplies stores but, the easiest and cheapest way to buy eco yoga mats online is to use Amazon.com where you can also read through the hundreds of customer reviews for opinions and feedback.

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