Today I'm going to talk about yoga mats. Are you confused about which mat you should be using for your yoga practice? I thought I would shed light on different kinds of yoga mats and what is the best option for you if you have a regular practice and you're looking for a good, durable, sturdy yoga mat.Now, price is not the only consideration when you're buying a yoga mat. You should look into:
- How long will your mat is going to last.
- How eco-friendly Your mat is.
- What is the thickness of it?
- Whether your mat, is anti-skid.
- And if you sweat a lot, It's good to buy a mat which will also absorb a small amount of sweat well.
So let me first talk to you about the different kinds of mats that are available on the market. What they are made of and what materials they are also made of so that you know whether you're buying highly toxic substances that drain a lot of the earth's resources.
The first kind of mat that I want to talk to you about is PVC Yoga Mat made out of pvc, which is Polyvinyl chloride. So this is an example of a mat that is made out of pvc. What happens with these kinds of mats is that they're very cheap, so it's very affordable.
But the problem with these kinds of mats is that, firstly, they're made out of chemicals that are carcinogenic, which are cancer-causing chemicals. They're made out of highly toxic substances, so you want to stay away from them. What also tends to happen with these mats is that some of them are really thin. They might be amazing on the floor because they don't skid and you might get a good grip, but they are very thin, so I think they don't provide enough support.
I would recommend you not to buy these kinds of mats, especially if you can afford slightly more durable mats, because these mats you have to keep changing. They don't last for more than a year or two and they are also not eco-friendly. They are not recyclable.
As well, the next mat that I wanted to talk to you about is the TPE mats, which is thermoplastic elastomer, which is these kinds of mats. They're also foam mats, which are more eco-friendly. They're better to use. They might be slightly more expensive, but the thickness of these mats is very good. It's about 10 mm on the website that I purchased it from. So anything from 0.6 upwards is ideal for you to use solely for knee cushioning.
The only problem with these kinds of mats is that they're very difficult to roll and carry. So if you want to travel along with your mat, it's very difficult to do and this opens up very easily, so this is great if you have a mat at home that you don't need to carry around too much.
There are other kinds of mats available too. There are microfiber mats. You get jute mats, you get a combination of jute and rubber, and you get cotton mats. Those tend to be a little bit more expensive, so the TPE mats come in the range of around 1500 to 2000 rupees. The microfiber rubber, all of those mats come in the range of anywhere between 2000 to 5000 and upwards of rupees. So if you have a budget to get those kinds of mats, you should definitely go for it. Especially if you are a serious practitioner, those mats will last you a lifetime and they're really good. There are lots of variants. There's anti-skid There's sweat absorbent, so those will definitely be good for you to use.
The jute mats, I'm not too sure because for me, whenever I've used them, they slip for me, so it doesn't work for me, but if it works for you, you can try those out as well.
I love using this mat because it gives great support and great stability. You feel great cushioning. You don't need anything else underneath, especially if you're practising your inversions. It also lasts for a very long time, so if you're going to choose between a pvc and a TPE, I would definitely say TPE. If you use it, it will last you for at least two to three years or maybe longer.
I would recommend you stay away from using the PVC mats, especially because they're not thick enough and also because they don't last long enough, so if you feel like your mat has not lasted long enough and it keeps chipping away, stay away from those kinds of mats. You can just put in a few more rupees and you can buy a foam mat. It will give you more support, more durability and is also more environmentally friendly.
So I hope this blog gives you a little bit of information about the different kinds of mats available. Thank you so much for reading and I'll see you soon:)
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