Yoga is fast becoming popular because of its many health benefits to its practitioners or the yogi. If you are interested in starting yoga, you must first know the required materials in the yoga practice. This will include loose and comfortable clothes, yoga mat and maybe a yoga ball. Indoor yoga is done barefoot and for outdoor yoga, you can wear a sock or a pair of flat shoes.
A mat for yoga is necessary in providing cushion against the hard floor. In addition, it allows the yogi to perform various yoga pose and positions by giving a non-slip surface to grip on. Traditionally, these mats have a jute or cotton structure. However, as the number of practitioners increased, and so is the variation of these mats.
Today, there are different types of yoga mat. Some of the common mats are PVC containing mats, traveling rubber mats, sticky mats and cotton mats. Each of which has a different use. For example, the cotton mat is only for yoga classes and yoga practices done in the house. This is because they are quite heavy and moving them from one place to another is very hard.
If you are a traveler or attending a yoga class and you want to personalize your mat, then the light rubber mat is best for you. You can fold and roll it into a bag for easy transport. This type of mat is usually the ones recommended for people who are always on the go. You can go to work with the mat inside your bag and attend yoga class right after your work.
The other popular yoga mat is the PVC containing mat. You can commonly buy this cheap mat in sport stores and yoga shops. They are light and durable with a firm grip on the floor. However, this type of mat can have adverse effect to the skin and the body. Since the composition of the mat is PVC, prolonged contact and usage may bring about some skin diseases.
The sticky yoga mat is also getting popular lately. The mat gives a perfect traction allowing the user to perform even the most complicated yoga positions. This can help avoid injuries sustained from accidental slipping when trying out a yoga pose. Such mat is available in stores that specifically focus on yoga accessories and apparels.
In addition to practical use, some types of mats comes with a great pattern or design for aesthetic purposes. The yoga mat is a personal item and its appearance would reflect the personality of the user. If you are to going to buy a mat for yoga practice, buy the patterned mat.
For a patterned yoga mat there different designs like hibiscus, lotus, zebra stripes, leopard dots, simple dots and stripes. To make it even more personal, some stores offer services such as putting a picture chosen by you on the prints of the mat. To look for such yoga mats you can go online and make a search through the Internet. With these mats, you can now do yoga with style.