New Mat

Today my new yoga mat came in the mail. I came home from some errands and there was a mat-sized box on my front porch. I didn't expect the mat until next week, so I was pleasently suprised.

I have been practicing yoga now for about 4 years. I have been practicing Ashtanga for 3 years fairly intensly. I have despised almost every yoga mat I have ever owned or encountered. The central conflict is as follows: my practice is very active, that's yoga slang for fast-flow with lots of sweating. My practice is usually 45 minutes to 2 hours a day (not on work days). Over this course of time my sweat will slime the mat, make me slip, and quickly literally errode the mat. Since July I have destroyed two yoga mats. Most people who do my style of yoga use very thick, stiff, heavy black mats that can hold up to the pounding. I do not like these mats. They do not provide enough cushioning for my knees and spine. My knees seem to need more than average amount of cushion. These mats also do not roll up nicely, which is ok if your mat stays in one place. My mat needs to be on the move. Some people will also put cotton rugs on top of their mat. I do this for the second part of my practice when I am mostly on the ground. I cannot use the rug for the standing portion of the pratice because I don't get enough traction.

So what is a yogini to do? I have tried a few different mats over the years. Some were too slick, many simply started to break apart while I was practicing. After extensive product research and some field testing I think I have found my perfect mat. The Jade mat. It is made from natural rubber. It's thick, but not rigid. It has good traction, but I don't feel glued to it. It rolls up nicely. On-line reviews insist that it's durable. Only time will tell on that one.