Yoga mat

File:Yogamat Assortment.jpg

An assortment of yoga mats

Yoga mats are specially fabricated mats used as an aid during the practice of yoga to prevent hands and feet slipping during asana practice. They are also commonly known as non-slip mats, non-skid mats or sticky mats. They are a core item of yoga equipment available today.

History

Ancient yoga practice on the Ancient Indian subcontinent was originally conducted on deer skin, more luxurious rugs made out of tiger skin, or simply on kusha grass or plain hard earth without any cover. Due to the scarcity of these materials and complaints from tigers about the difficulty of skinless existence , they are now rarely used even in India .

With the rise of yoga in the West during the 20th Century, demand for a bespoke product on which to practice yoga grew. Many practitioners used towels or cotton mats on wooden floors. Rubber mats were originally used as an intermediate material to prevent the cotton mats to slip on the wooden floors. Slipping of hands and feet was avoided by squirting a mist of water on the mats on the respective places of positions .

In 1982, while teaching yoga in Germany, Angela Farmer found a roll of carpet underlay which she cut down to a towel-like size and used it during yoga classes. Returning home to London with it, the material gained attention an popularity in the local yoga scene. Angela's father, Richard Farmer, contacted the German padding manufacturer and became the first retailer of "sticky mats", standard white in color .

The first purpose made yoga mat was manufactured and sold by Hugger Mugger in the 1990s. In 2002 the first ‘eco-conscious’ mat was manufactured by EcoYoga and sold through Yogamatters in Britain.

With commercial promotion and rise of the yoga industry, yoga mats have now become a basic item of equipment for yogis and yoginis, and standard feature for yoga studios worldwide. For yoga studios, they increasingly fulfill the purpose of reducing risk of injury, and some health insurances require yoga practice to be executed with a non-slip mat to remain eligible for cover.

Types

Dimensions

Yoga mats are normally around 72" / 182 cm long and have a width of 24" / 60 cm. Some practitioners prefer extra-wide mats (30"/78 cm) for positions such as Surya Namaskar or hand-balances . Yoga mats range in thicknesses from 2mm (lightweight) to 4-5mm (standard or "classic") and up to 7mm for either high performance mats reserved for professional daily practices while guaranteeing little wear-out, or soft mats providing extra cushioning during yoga therapy.

Aesthetics

Yoga mats are available in many colors. Some like Orla Kiely mats feature special prints, while so-called alignment mats come with printed guides to proper alignment on them. Some companies print custom photographic images of pets or children on mats. Other items used to complement yoga mats are belts, blocks and bricks, bolsters and chairs.

Material

The first commercially produced yoga mats were made from PVC. The first ‘eco-conscious’-labelled mats were made from natural jute and rubber. Higher-priced PVC mats are tested as 'AZO' and 'DOP' free, and are certified as latex-free. The Swiss Oeko-Tex Institute has also tested some yoga mats as "free of harmful substances" and provides 'Oeko-Tex certification' for some products. Alternatively, yoga mats are made from Thermoplastic elastomer, TPE, which is deemed more environmentally friendly than PVC . Some yoga mats marketed as "eco-conscious" are made of jute intermixed with a thin rubber layer for floor grip. Outdoor yoga mats are made out of bamboo. There is one known outdoor yoga mat called the Zuura Mat.

Care and Hygiene

General care instructions include advice on how to machine wash mats, or alternatively to wipe down the mat with a warm wet cloth and allow to air dry. Mat cleaner with disinfectant functions are also gaining popularity.