As well as having an army of celebrity devotees yoga, is one of the most enjoyed and rewarding pastimes. Highly beneficial for physical and mental conditioning, yoga is truly a worldwide phenomenon.
Selecting your own ideal yoga mat will depend on a number of variables, but is important to note that the ideal mat for one, will be useless for another.
Your intended yoga usage is critical to choosing your perfect yoga mat. this will include the style of yoga you wish to practice, any physical weakness or ailments you may need extra support for, as well practical considerations such as will you be traveling with your mat, or leaving it at home or at your local yoga club.
The obvious considerations regard the vigor required for your style of yoga, as sweat, and the slippage associated with sweaty hands and feet, can be very dangerous when practicing yoga. also if you need extra support, a thick sticky mat, will be far less transportable than a thinner travel yoga mat.
At minimum you will want your yoga mat to be, safe or suitable for your style of yoga, and conditions (hard, slippery floor for example). you will want it to be comfortable for you, durable would be nice, environmental friendly possibly, and if your planning to travel with your mat, you may value lightweight and easily cleanable, if your going to throw it down on a beach somewhere.
The right mat will help both your balance and be supportive and comfortable to work on, this is very important as if you are serious about yoga, you will spend a lot of time with your mat.
If you prefer the gentler forms of yoga, and also meditation, you should avoid the sticky yoga mats, and will be better with one of the natural fibre mats such as hemp, cotton or jute.
Cotton mats can be padded using most commonly wool, but also buckwheat hulls, to make for an even more comfortable experience. Cotton yoga mats may also be backed with natural rubber for added grip and use on harder slippy surfaces.
All natural or organic yoga mats are made using natural rubber, and all natural plant extract materials such as cotton, hemp, jute and other fibrous grasses. the manufacture of these organic mats will also not contain any non biodegradable chemicals in any of the growing or manufacturing processes. though this level of eco-friendly yoga mat will cost considerably more than, the cheaper mass production mats.
If you are looking for eco friendly yoga mats you will be avoiding PVC at all costs. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is claimed to release dioxins into the atmosphere which have been linked to various types of cancer. so though natural rubber can really smell when new, it must be better than PVC. Standard size for mats is 24 inches by 68 inches, though there are both bigger and smaller options available. Thickness varies from a few millimeters to 60 millimeters for an extra thick mat.
Cost vary as much as design with yoga mats starting for as little as $20 and going as high as $140 for a top end branded mat such as the Manduka Black Pro yoga mat.
With the popularity of yoga holidays growing annually, you may need a practical and transportable yoga travel mat. this type of mat will be only a few millimeters thick, and role up tight and light for easy storage, and carrying if you are combining yoga with trekking. Which is a lovely way of seeing your chosen holiday destination, while enjoying the many benefits of practicing yoga.
