Good Yoga mat -What to look for ?

Most of the Yoga practitioner especially the beginners don’t tend to think a lot about their Yoga mat.  People tend to focus more on Yoga studios, the teacher, the Yoga style.A Yoga mat is the item which has not much investment against it.

Yoga mats come in all prices and thickness. It can be as cheap for Rs.350 and can be as expensive as Rs. 25,000.

Good Yoga Mat – Your preference

Before purchasing any mat of any range, think of the most important thing you are looking in a mat. If you are a Bikram Yoga student, your first priority will be non slippery mat.

If you travel too often and practice Yoga too often, light weight mat is something you are looking for.

If you are a beginner and a yoga enthusiast and find yourself every day at the Yoga studio and as your practice deepens you will soon find that the cheap Yoga mat will start to tear apart.

If you are a beginner and not committed to daily practice. It is more as per your convenience – you will find yourself easy going with any type of Yoga mat.

If you have deeper concern for environment and looking for  material, free from all toxic materials, latex, PVC, eco-friendly mat is something that you are looking for.

Fine, once you have decided your Yoga mat requirements, let’s now search for the things you should look in a Yoga mat.

• Thickness: It is said that a too thin Yoga mat can damage your knees. Also, you might feel disconnected (with earth) with a too thick mat.Hence right amount of thickness is required in Yoga mat. A standard Yoga mat is 1/8 inches thick (in India we generally look in millimeters, means 3.175 mm). Thickest yoga mat is around 1/4 inches thick ( 6.35 mm). It is upon one’s preference to decide what suits you the most.
• Non slippery : Texture tells us about how an object feels and its ingredients. If you are looking for a non slippery mat, you should not opt for mats made out of PVC.
• Longevity : Everyone looks for a mat which last long. A cheap mat will start tearing apart after few practice.

So here are the some Yoga mats I recommend.

A good Yoga mat – First preference

If you are ready to shed some bucks for a good Yoga mat, I would recommend Manduka mats to you (from all the reviews I have read.)

• The product is known for its longevity. You will find Yoga teachers practicing on their Manduka mat for the last 15 years.
• Comfortable for knees and hands.
• Good grip and stable on the floor.
• Gives a firm cushioned, grounded feel.

In India I have not seen many options (colors/types) for these mats. However you can at least get in basic colors.

 

FYI: Manduka has many good Yoga products, however its presence is more outside than in India.

A good Yoga mat – Another type

If you are looking for a light color mat, anti skid mat which is in your budget, you can look for Gravolite mats. There are different types of Gravolite mats available.

• If you are looking for a large and thick Yoga mats, Gravolite is good for you.
• Gravolite has got EVA foam filling that cushions you while doing any strenuous workouts. It is good for your knees.
• There are different types of Gravolite mats : The Sun Salutation , The Triple Layer and others. Depending on your requirement and budget you can go for these mats.
• However, the mat comes with a strong odor. You have to either keep it in air or wash it to get rid of the odor.
• As the material offers a good thickness, it is little heavy.Hence won’t be suitable during travel.

Let’s talk: So, what Yoga mat you use and what are the key point you keep in mind before the purchase. Share it and help others in deciding to buy a good Yoga mat.