Chose yoga mats according to your need

If you choose to take up yoga, you don’t just need to get familiar with the asanas (poses) and pranayams (breath exercises), but also with the various accessories, the most important of these being yoga mats. Choosing the best yoga mat for you is in fact a lot more important than most of us give credit for. This is off course no simple task, with the wide variety of mats, and the vociferous marketing, most of us are left very confused and end up making the wrong choices. Choosing between a travel yoga mat, or a long yoga mat, or a plastic mat can become a lot tougher than it seems.

It may be true that the practice of yoga requires no accessories, but a yoga mat will go a long way to helping you perfect your practice. As with any other purchases you make there are certain questions that you need to ask yourself:

• Is it suitable and supportive for the wide range of postures that you will be learning?
• Is the mat large enough so that you are not sprawled half on the floor in some poses?
• Does it make your practice a lot more comfortable?
• Is the grip on the mat good enough to prevent my hands or feet from slipping?
• Will the mat just stick to the floor and not to my feet as well?
• Will the grip be affected by sweat?
• Is it easy to carry?
• Can it be washed frequently and is it durable?
• Can dust and lint be shaken off easily?

To help you make such choices here are the descriptions of two popular types to help gauge the suitability of some types of mats.

 

Sticky Mats
A yoga sticky mat offers increased stability whilst performing poses. Sticky yoga mats can be used for different types of yoga, but they needs to be sprinkled with some water and air dry to prevent them from slipping.

 

Travel Mats
A travel yoga mat is ideal for someone who obviously travels quite often, but doesn’t want to slip up on his or her practice, or even for those who may need to travel some distance to get to their yoga classes. For ease of transportation these mats are however very thin, so they offer no cushioning and need to be used on carpeted flooring or over a blanket or towel.

If you are environmentally conscious and would like an eco friendly mat, there are again many that you can choose from. In the end your choice also depends on personal preferences, so consider the various important features and then follow your instinct.