SunShineYoga.com partners with WhoGets.com to offer SunShineYoga.com customers a chance to win a 1/4″ blue yoga mat. WhoGets is a community-based website that features online sweepstakes games, allowing site members to decide who wins the prizes. It is free and no catch.
SunShineYoga.com partners with WhoGets.com to offer SunShineYoga.com customers a chance to win a free MaxMat. WhoGets is a community-based website that features online sweepstakes games, allowing site members to decide who wins the prizes. It is free and no catch.
It’s no secret that luxury has taken a beating in the Great Recession. High-end restaurants are hurting as people trade the $30 Steak for the $3 Big Mac. Saks Inc. lost $5.1 million in the first quarter of ‘09, a 129% drop from the previous year. Necessity is the new luxury.
BUY A $100 MANDUKA MAT ON SALE FOR $74.99
But at least one surprising product is bucking the trend. At a time when consumers are in a serious saving mode, why are sales of $100 yoga mats soaring?
That’s right — $100 for a stinkin’ mat. A company called Manduka, which makes these luxury yoga props, has seen its sales rise 55% in the first four months of 2009. Sales at Amazon.com during this period are up a stunning 87%, and the company just signed a deal with Dick’s Sporting Goods, a major retailer with 389 stores across the country. Manduka offers the Black Mat PRO, a thick, cushiony black mat, for between $74 and $130, depending on its length, and the biodegradable eKO for between $42 and $70. “Manduka is the Porsche, the Ferrari of yoga mats,” says Phil Swain, CEO of YogaWorks, a 22-store chain of studios and retail shops in California (the company is opening a New York City location this summer). (See pictures of facial yoga.)
But these days, isn’t driving a Toyota Corolla just fine? Yoga involves stretching, holding poses and doing other physical movement. We’re not talking cushions for backflips here. When it comes down to it, can’t you just do yoga on your carpet? Or grab a towel? Or pay for a $30 mat in the store?
According to the yogis, the thick black Manduka mat makes a real difference. First off, you’re paying for superior traction. “When you sweat during yoga, it’s easy to slip and slide,” says Dayna Macy, a managing editor for Yoga Journal, a trade publication. “You don’t slip with the Manduka.” Also, the mat’s extra cushioning softens the stress on your joints. “If you practice vigorously, you’ll be moving up and down a lot, and you’ll use your knees,” says Macy. “The mat is comfortable. And when you feel what’s under your feet, it can be a distraction.” (Watch a video about fitness gadgets.)
The popularity of pricey mats reflects a spike in yoga practice. Participants in the activity grew from 4.3 million to 12 million between 2001 and 2008, according to a recent study. Of the 12 million people who reported doing yoga in the past six months, nearly one million said they were trying it for the first time. Since the recession went from painful to disastrous in September 2008, yoga studios throughout the country have reported increased traffic. Irene Narissi, a New York City yoga instructor, says her business has jumped 10% to 15% over the past seven months. The feedback from new clients: they are either unemployed and want to maintain their mental health or insecure about their current job status and want to maintain their mental health. “The meditative aspects of yoga,” Narissi says, “satisfy the need to chill out.”
Still, why are these insecure new consumers paying so much for their props? A closer look at the yogi demographics, however, offers clues into purchasing behavior. Yoga practitioners no longer fit the stereotype of weird women chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. They’re young: 40.6% of those who do yoga are between 18 and 34, according to a 2008 Harris Interactive poll commissioned by Yoga Journal. They’re smart: 71.4% are college graduates, and 27% have postgraduate degrees. And they’re affluent: 44% of yogis have household incomes of $75,000 or more (that figure, of course, might be trickling down during the recession). In other words, yogis are yuppies. And if there’s one thing yuppies do, it’s copycat their brethren. So as more stressed-out young professionals flood the yoga studios and see other people with comfy Manduka mats supporting their glutes, they’re bound to buy the pricey products too. Look at me: I’ve got a Manduka; I’m totally into yoga.
Also, it’s easier to justify a $100 yoga mat than a lot of other expenses. “With hedonic consumption, at some point you’re going to feel quite a bit of guilt,” says C.W. Park, a marketing professor at USC’s Marshall School of Business and editor of the Journal of Consumer Psychology. “If the luxury item has some kind of functional value, you’re not going to feel that guilt.” You feel like you’re investing in your health, so a little splurge can’t hurt. Plus, Manduka mats carry a lifetime guarantee. If the mat lives up to its promise, you may even save some money in the long run.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that towel.
Selecting a yoga mat is about as individual as choosing which workout to do. There is no “one right type” for everyone. In fact, choosing the right mat depends on many different factors such as the type of yoga or the specific level you are at. If you are just starting out in yoga for weight loss, you will need a different mat than someone else who has been practicing for decades in, say, Ashtanga yoga.
The biggest factor when choosing a mat is your personal level. If you are just starting out, a “sticky” mat, or a mat that doesn’t slip when you are practicing your poses, would be your best bet. The reason is that if you are still learning the poses, you don’t exactly have the coordination it takes to keep the mat still, which could be dangerous should you happen to fall. It really is for safety purposes. A great example of this type of mat can be found here. This mat is designed to keep you in poses without slipping around!
However, if you are at the “pro” level, relying on a sticky mat is not optimizing your workout. This is because it defeats the purpose of what yoga is really supposed to be–a balance between mind and body. Having a sticky mat when you know what you are doing does not help you to achieve that level of awareness where you let your body just “fall into the poses”. Having a mat that doesn’t stick to the floor will help you achieve greater balance of body, as well as your mind–which is the main purpose of yoga. Of course, you don’t want your mat to be slippery, but it needs to be about as naturally slippery as if you were to be outside on the natural earth. Blankets made for this purpose are great for you and can be found here.
The type of yoga also determines what type of yoga mat you select. If you tend to sweat alot during yoga, such as in Bikram or Ashtanga yoga, then you need a mat that will absorb your sweat. While a natural slipping is good in yoga, slipping because the mat is wet from sweat is another matter altogether. You want a mat that will act almost like a towel.
Another type of mat that can be helpful in yoga are the extra thick mats. These are for people who may have some need for extra cushioning, such as older people or people who are recovering from a major illness or surgery. Or even people who have arthritis, sore joints, or just like extra cushions.
Whatever you choose, be sure to get what is right for you and your personal level and abilities. If you have the right mat, you will be able to make your yoga be more effective…which is what you want, right?
A yoga exercise mat suited for your workouts will make the biggest difference in the quality of your practice experience. Yoga mats vary and several considerations need to be given when choosing the right mat for your workouts. Making an informed choice in the selection of the yoga mat will be the first step in a successful yoga exercise program.
Attention needs to be given to the thickness of the yoga mat. An exercise yoga mat should have ample cushion depth to eliminate any discomfort while practicing. The mat needs to give firm support for ease with all the yoga postures and movements. Having fluid movements are essential during yoga practice. The mat you choose needs to have a grip firm enough to prevent any slipping and possible injury.
The yoga mat you use needs to be large enough so that the edges are not felt, causing distractions while practicing. Feeling the edges of the mat is uncomfortable and will make the resulting benefit of the yoga exercise less than desirable. Choose a durable yoga mat that will sustain machine washings or easy wipe offs.
Choosing an attractive yoga mat with a pleasing color will make your exercise more peaceful and enjoyable. Select the mat that is convenient, handy to transport, and one that is lightweight and easy to roll up. The quality of your yoga practice will be maximized with the right choice in a yoga mat. Check out SunShineYoga.com for a large selection of Yoga Mats at a discount.
