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?

Many people practice yoga to feel more at peace, relaxed, rejuvenated and of course healthy. Unfortunately, your yoga mat may be working against you. Shared and communal yoga mats found at most yoga studios are filled with germs and bacteria that get passed from one yoga participant to another.

It is common courtesy at most gyms to spray down and clean off exercise equipment between uses, however exercise and yoga mats are often overlooked in this practice. The health risk of using an unsanitized yoga mat is great. Since yoga is done barefoot there is an increased risk of catching athletes’ foot or planter’s warts.

Your feet are not the only body part that comes into contact with your yoga mat, your arms, back and any other bare part of skin are likely to come into contact with your yoga mat during a yoga session. This means you can easily catch any skin disease or rash that the previous user of your yoga mat may have been infected with.

Using a shared yoga mat also means an increased health risk of catching the cold and flu germs. A sick yoga participant’s face comes into close contact with their yoga mat which easily spreads the cold and flu bugs to the yoga mat. The next person to use that mat will be exposed to their germs and has an increased risk of sickness, especially if yoga mat cleaner was not used between yoga sessions.

Cleaning the yoga mats between uses can help reduce the health risk of spreading the germs and bacteria from person to person. However, in order to effectively sanitize the yoga mats they must be cleaned with a strong chemical solution and must be wet enough to stay moist for over thirty seconds. Using yoga mat cleaner can help sanitize the yoga mats between uses but yoga mat cleaner can often be expensive and hard to use.

Since the cost of cleaning all the mats between yoga sessions is high, many yoga studios and gyms forgo the process in favor of daily or weekly cleanings. This means that if the studio has multiple classes during the day the yoga mats are remaining unsanitized. Some studios leave the cleaning between yoga sessions up to the users of the mats. Unfortunately, many people either neglect to clean the maps or clean them ineffectively.

The best way to protect yourself from the unwanted spread of germs and bacteria during yoga is to buy your own personal yoga mat. Having your own personal yoga mat means you will not be coming into intimate contact with another person’s germs and bacteria during your yoga session. The purchase of your own yoga mat can also save you money over the long run since many yoga studios charge yoga mat rental fees. Buying yoga mat cleaner can also be expensive and not as effective as using your own yoga mat.

Sunshineyoga.com offers a variety of personal yoga mats and cleaners that can help reduce the health risk of contracting a disease during your next yoga session.

Yoga products

The word yoga means the discipline for union of the mind, body and spirit through meditation. It commonly means the practice of postures or poses. Many believe that yoga is all about stretching but is actually finding the balance in the balance with strength and flexibility. Even though this practice is not attached to any objects, there are some things that will be useful. The essential yoga equipment or products include yoga mats, props like blankets, straps and blocks.

The yoga mat is usually the most important product and may be the first thing you purchase. It is very common to see mats in both gyms and yoga studios. The mat is used to create your space, provide traction for both feet and hands and give a cushion on the hard floor.

A folded blanket can be used during yoga as a prop to lie or sit on. They are commonly used under your sit bones to raise the hips above the knees. A blank can be used for many different things while practicing yoga.
Straps are in important for those poses that you need to hold on to your feet but cannot reach them. They can also be used for bound purposes when your hands cannot reach each other.

Blocks are used much like blankets in helping you be more comfortable and improve the alignment of your body. Blocks are also used in standing poses where your hands do not reach the floor.

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.