Yoga mats
Don't forget to take your own yoga mats,
for your own comfort take the best yoga mats for your yoga type, there are specially designed travel yoga mats, as well as cotton yoga mats for particular types of yoga. Its advisable to take your yoga mat with you on your yoga retreat or holiday, and you buy travel yoga mats if you want to save a bit of space in your luggage or backpack.
Yoga practice is done barefoot, so if you are practicing yoga in a centre, then its important that your yoga mat can firstly provide a non-slip surface on which your postures can hold, but also that your feet are given a stable, safe, and healthy surface on which to be placed. They can also provide a warm surface, very important in on cold floors.
As yoga can be slow and considered at times, your comfort is paramount.
Don't confuse yoga mats with other exercising mats, or camping mats. You could think about matching your mat with the type of yoga you are practising. As each type of yoga is slightly different, you may find that certain mats give particular advantages.
Iyengar yoga: this type of yoga is best with mats 4.5mm or less.
Hatha Yoga: As you would be spending more time in meditation and stillness, then a mat with good insulation would be more useful. As your body calms, it will chill!
Ashtanga Yoga: Traditionlly this is practiced on a wet cotton rug.
Bikram Yoga: this is practiced in a heated room, so sweat can be absorbed in a cotton yoga mat
Dont confuse thickness with quality, or think that the thicker the mat is the better. A very thick mat (greater than 6mm) will be too "wobbly" for good yoga. Think instead of getting a higher density, good quality mat.
