Yoga Mats
For a yoga regime to work its wonders, co-ordination of mind and body is very important. To achieve this, it is necessary to use a yoga mat that offers the right level of comfort.
What Are Yoga Mats?
Performing yoga requires, moving and holding various positions of the body. Hence, it is necessary to perform yoga on a surface that reduces the possibilities of slipping while doing the asanas. Yoga mats are specially made to help practicing yoga without slipping and with a degree of comfort. They are also known as non-skid mats or non- slip mats.
Yoga mats, normally have a dimension of 72″/182cms length and 24″/60cms width. However extra wide mats, preferred for certain asanas, like Surya Namaskar, are available with width of 30″/78cms. Yoga mats available in the market come in three different ranges of thickness. The light weight yoga mat (2mm thickness), the standard yoga mat(4-5mm thickness) and the professional high performance mats with extra cushioning.
Needs for Yoga Mats
1. The primary need for a yoga mat stems from the safety aspect. Various intricate forms of yoga demand a non slippery surface. Hence to reduce the risk of slipping and injuring, yoga mats are very essential.
2. An uneven surface or a slippery surface is not conducive to involving oneself fully in the asana. Thus, a yoga mat plays an important role in increasing the level of concentration.
3. Health Insurance companies insist upon yoga practitioners to use a yoga mat to be eligible for insurance coverage. Hence, in many yoga studios it is a must to use yoga mats.
How to Use Yoga Mats
The yoga mat must be kept in a bag, when not in use. This ensures that the mat remains clean, dry and safe. While performing intense yoga, it is advisable to cover the mat with a towel. Such yoga results in too much sweating. This sweat is absorbed by the towel and it helps to keeps the surface dry. To make the optimum use of the yoga mats, it is necessary to maintain an ideal posture. The mats must be washed regularly to remove the dirt and maintain its surface.
Benefits of Using Yoga Mats
1. A yoga mat helps to define the personal space of the person practicing yoga. So, the energy that is created practicing yoga is retained, instead of dissipating through the floor.
2. Yoga mats help to maintain a good grip by creating traction between hands and legs. This ensures that there is no chance of slipping while doing yoga.
3. It provides cushioning against the hard floor. This helps to increase concentration and gain more from yoga.
4. It facilitates better energy circulation.
5. It increases balance and provides back support. This gives relief from spinal stress and also gives more flexibility and a better posture.
Points To Be Considered When Purchasing A Yoga Mat
Yoga mats are made from a variety of materials such as PVC and thermoplastic elastomer or from organic materials like natural jute, rubber and cotton. Outdoor yoga mats, made of bamboo are also available. Before buying, the yoga mats must be tried out with different poses and the one that offers the best comfort must be selected. Yoga mats, today, come in attractive colors and feature many prints. Alignment mats are also available with printed guides to proper alignment, in them.
Jade yoga mats are eco-friendly mats. It is made from open-cell natural rubber. It offers flexibility in length as it comes in four different lengths. This PVC-free mat absorbs sweat well to provide a good grip and gives excellent cushioning due to its thickness. Jade yoga mats offer steadier footing as their surface is sticky. It’s machine washability feature makes it easy to maintain. Being slightly heavy, it is well suited if yoga is practiced in the same place every day.
A good yoga mat must offer stability and comfort and must also modify to suit the body requirements. Selecting the right mat adds to the comfort zone and makes yoga more effective. Jade yoga mats satisfy all the criteria for the right yoga mat.