How to choose your own yoga mat

I don't dare to think about it anymore... Well, look at our article. It's easy to have your own yoga mat.

Question 1: Thick, thin, rubber or towel blanket... Which one is the most suitable?

Choose according to the material

TPE mat is the most environmentally friendly

TPE refers to an environmentally friendly yoga mat that mixes natural latex and hemp. It is currently the best material and can be recycled and will not cause environmental pollution after being discarded.

Characteristics: Soft, conformable, and strong grip-it will be more secure when placed on any ground. Compared with the PVC yoga mat, it weighs about 300 grams less and is easy to carry around.

Reminder: The price of yoga mats made of TPE material is high.

PVC is cheap and cheap

PVC materials are currently commonly used in China, and their Chinese chemical name is polyvinyl chloride. The new PVC material has no smell and is harmless to the human body. However, if products made from secondary materials (recycled materials) are used, they will be toxic and will still pose certain harm to the human body.

Features: PVC materials are affordable and can be purchased anywhere, with guaranteed quality and high cost performance.

Reminder: Avoid buying inferior yoga mats made from secondary materials!

Cloth mats are difficult to buy

Sometimes, in yoga classes, we see some people using a brightly colored yoga mat that looks like an Arabian flying carpet. It is said to be an Indian yoga cloth mat. This cloth mat is imported from India and is hand-woven and dyed to be used on ordinary plastic yoga mats. The reason for this is that the plastic yoga mat does not contact the skin well, and the cloth mat is softer and can be carried around, providing isolation when using public yoga mats. But I wonder if the anti-slip effect of the cloth mat is ideal?

Select according to "thickness needs"

The most basic suggestion regarding the thickness of the yoga mat is that beginners can use a thicker yoga mat, such as a 6 mm thick yoga mat, in order to prevent exercise injuries. After you have a certain foundation and experience, you can use 3 instead. A yoga mat with a thickness of 5 mm to 5 mm. Of course, if you are very afraid of "pain", you can always use a relatively thick yoga mat to practice.

Choose based on the "type of yoga" you have studied

If you practice yoga that focuses on soft training, you will often encounter the action of sitting on the mat. At this time, a thicker and softer yoga mat will make you more comfortable. But if you practice yoga that is more rhythmic like Power Yoga, Flow Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga, you need a thinner and harder mat. A yoga mat that is too soft will not be convenient for doing movements. Some people who are more particular may feel that a yoga mat is too thick hinders their contact with the ground, etc. In fact, the thickness of the yoga mat mainly depends on personal preference.

If the movements you do are not as static and do not sweat as much as running, and are somewhere in between, which cushion should you use? I would answer,"Choose a thinner one." Thick mats (more than 5 mm) lose the feeling of contact with the ground, and many movements will feel "distorted". In foreign countries, most yoga practitioners like to use thin mats. This is the reason. If you feel that your knees are uncomfortable with the thin cushion when doing some kneeling movements, you can put a towel under your knees.

Question 2 Yoga originated in India. At the beginning, did ancient Indians also use yoga mats?

No ancient Indians can answer this question, and I don't know whether modern people have conducted conclusive textual research.

It is said that the earliest Indians who practiced yoga did not use yoga mats. They sat on the ground and communicated between body and heart, and between person and the universe in the simplest place. However, modern people practice yoga completely different from ancient Indians. Yoga mats have also become indispensable aids. Because yoga mats are made of special materials, they are different from ordinary mats or carpets, and can prevent bruises on the spine, ankles, hips, knees and other parts. There is also a more mysterious saying that yoga mats can serve as insulation and prevent the energy gathered in the body during practice from being carried away by the earth qi.

Question 3 How should I take care of myself after I have a yoga mat?

The yoga mat you carefully bought will be your good friend practicing yoga from now on. When treating good friends, you naturally need careful care. If you buy a yoga mat back and use it frequently but never maintain it, the dust and sweat stains accumulated on the surface of the yoga mat will eventually endanger the owner's health, so it is necessary to clean the yoga mat frequently.

It is best to clean it every other week to ensure hygiene. The easiest way to clean is to mix two drops of detergent with four bowls of water, spray them on the yoga mat, and then wipe them clean with a dry cloth. If the yoga mat is already dirty, you can also gently wipe the yoga mat with a cloth dipped in washing powder, then rinse it off with clean water, and then roll up the yoga mat with a dry towel to suck off excess water. Finally, dry the yoga mat.

It should be noted that the amount of washing powder should be as small as possible, because once the washing powder remains on the yoga mat, the yoga mat may become slippery. Also remember not to expose the yoga mat in the sun when drying it.

In fact, there is still a lot of knowledge about yoga mats-how to choose each yoga mat? Where to buy a good and affordable yoga mat? These all require further research by yoga enthusiasts. But in the final analysis, the knowledge of yoga mats is dead, but it is alive when used on people. What suits you is always the best.

Tips when buying yoga mats:

1. Don't open a PVC yoga mat first, use your nose to smell the top of the mat. If there is a pungent smell, it is likely to be a sign of poor quality.

2. Use your thumb and index finger to pinch the yoga mat to see how it is pressure-resistant.

3. Use an eraser to rub the yoga mat to see if the material breaks easily.

4. Gently push the surface of the mat with your palm to feel dry.

5. In addition, the length and width of domestically produced yoga mats are basically 173 cm x 61cm. If you are tall and always feel that this size yoga mat is too tight, you may as well buy a 183 cm x 61cm, or even longer.

(Internship Editor: Liang Yalin)