How to Choose Your Yoga Mat

How to Choose Your Yoga Mat Yoga Mats: The Most Common Yoga Accessory ChaptersWhy Practise Yoga?What Types of Yoga Mat Are There?3 Criteria to Consider when Choosing the Best Yoga MatThe Best Yoga Mat Brands and ShopsDetails are important. Some of yoga’s main goals are to improve your confidence and make you more relaxed.While a yoga mat is one of the optional yoga accessories, a lot of people swear by using them because not only is it more comfortable, it also separates you physically from the rest of the world. If you use a mat that isn’t for yoga, a mat that’s the wrong size, or just a mat that doesn’t make you feel like doing yoga, it’s quite likely that you’ll find it difficult to let go and get started with yoga.practising yoga at home...Whether you're attending a yoga class or doing yoga at home, some mats can be taken anywhere. (Source: StockSnap)The PricePrice is a criterion for anything you’re going to buy. Is it important when it comes to yoga? Not really.In fact, you can find good yoga mats for £50 and excellent ones for arou nd £20. If you prefer doing yoga on your living room rug, then do it! However, once you start doing more challenging yoga routines, you might find you want a little more cushioning than your rug provides. Additionally, you can't take your living room rug to yoga classes.While there are plenty of advantages to yoga mats, the most important thing is your well-being and your taste. Like Suzanne Bryant-Cunha, a yoga teacher in San Francisco says:“You have to want to spend time with your yoga mat”Given how much time you’re going to spend with your mat doing sun salutations, stretches, and muscle toning, the price is one of the least important criteria, since you’ll rarely be spending much more than around £50. Even if you do spend the upper limit, it’ll be a very low price for the amount of use you’ll get out of it.While the cheaper mats might seem like a good idea, they mightn’t last as long as the others. However, they can be a good idea for those who’ve just taken up yoga. You can find a good mat for between £15 and £20. On the other hand, a good mat made from natural or recycled yoga mat material can cost between £30 and £50.Don’t forget that the size of your mat is also very important. If you're tall, you might need an extra long mat. You don't want to be doing your downward dog and find that both your hands and feet are sliding because they're not on the mat.Join in on the topic: should runners practise yoga? and how to combine running and yoga.Don't forget that your mat has to be the right size for you. (Source: HannahWells)If you're a beginner and not sold on the restorative properties of yoga yet, then you probably don't want to be stretching your budget by paying a fortune for a really durable yoga mat like they have in professional yoga studios if you're barely going to use it.I did a search for yoga classes near me and found a Superprof yogi who gave me advice on choosing the right mat!The Best Yoga Mat Brands and ShopsThe Best Y oga ShopsIf you’re just getting started, you’ll probably be really enthusiastic and looking at some of the best yoga mats around.It’s a good idea to check out big sports shops like Decathlon that have a lot of yoga gear. Of course, in these places, you probably won’t find as many mats made of natural or recycled materials. For these, you need to start looking at specialised yoga shops.While there aren’t as many of these around, you can find plenty of them on the internet as well as through large online marketplaces like Amazon.The Best Yoga BrandsDepending on what you’re looking for and what you need (straps, patterns, material, etc.), here are a few brands you should check out:Chin Mudra. This is one of the cheaper brands and is very good value for money. You’ll pay around £20 for a comfortable non-toxic mat. This is a great option for beginners. Gaiam. Similarly, this is a great band for beginners. They also come in some nice patterns. These are available for betwee n £15 and £30.Sports brands like Reebok, Nike, etc. These can be quite expensive and don’t last as long. I’d avoid getting one of these.Lululemon. This is a successful brand. There are heavy options (around 3kg) meaning that they’re best being used at home. They’re comfortable and non-porous meaning they won’t get as dirty. They cost around £50.Manduka. This is some of the top-of-the-range yoga mats. You’ll pay upwards of £50 for these large mats which have a very good lifespan. They also have mats for two people.Hugger Mugger: This brand does a huge variety of fitness equipment and yoga mats. The mats start at around £20 and they also do recycled foam blocks, yoga props, and bolsters.Find out how you can get started with meditation and yoga...There are a huge variety of yoga mats available. (Source: Ben_Kerckx)If you know of any other good brands, tell us about them in the comments.Have you got your mat? Now you just have to work on your exercises and your mediatio n. In addition to yoga mats, you might want to get a yoga block or two, a yoga mat bag or a strap if you're going to be travelling with it, yoga towels, and cushions for meditation. As always, ask your instructor what you're going to need and what they recommend.To wash your mat, just use a cloth or yoga towel to wipe off the sweat after each yoga class or routine. You can also use between 5 and 10 drops of essential oils. Some can be put in the washing machine, too.Let Superprof answer your questions about practising yoga...In Conclusion:Forget about sleeping pads or pilates mats, there are plenty of other mats for yoga. You should also take into account the size and thickness of yoga mats since this will vary depending on the type of yoga you’re doing. If you’re just starting out, there are affordable yoga mats for beginners.Avoid PVC mats since there are plenty of natural options available.If you've hired your own private yogi, you should ask them which mat they prefer for th e type of yoga they teach (Vinyasa yoga, Ashtanga yoga, etc.), whether you'll need a cushion for meditating, yoga blocks for a certain posture, and whether they prefer that you get environmentally friendly equipment or an eco yoga mat.Now discover the best documentaries for learning all the facts about yoga...