Are you are a beginner or practicing Yoga for a long? In both cases, you always need a mat, that is suitable for practice and provides a grip while stretching the body. While performing a Surya asana or Brahma-asana stronger grip on the mat is essential. Or else you will lack the focus and cannot practice, as from the soul.
Apart from a tight grip, another essential factor that makes yoga mat important is the comfort it can provide to the body. The yoga mat should be able to comfort the back, upper and lower parts of the body. It is essential to feel good when meditating or performing yoga.
Always look for lightweight as carrying heavy mats is not possible all the time. Yoga enthusiasts always have their mat with them. So, it should be light enough so that portability is easy while traveling anywhere. If at home, shifting from one place to another is easy due to the lightweight.
Eco-friendly mats are best for your body and environment. Try to avoid the PVC mats that may cause toxicity to the body. Rubber is the best material which is healthy, has a good grip, and at the same time lightweight.
These are some of the essential factors to keep in mind while buying a mat for asanas.
Benefits of Yoga Mats:
Exercises and workouts are different from Yoga. Both are a form of increasing energy of body and mind. But Yoga needs a lot of body balance, including the focus of the mind. Unlike, exercises and workouts that are done with the grip of sports shoes. The grips of the shoes help in maintaining balance.
Yoga is performed bare feet, so it is essential to have a mat while practicing for hours. Some of the common reasons to have mats are as follows:
No injury:
Bare feet can provide balance to the experts who have to practice for years. But still, there are chances of slipping and falling when the focus is lost. The use of a yoga mat will avoid, the body from any injuries. As it will not allow to fall or lose anybody’s balance.
Distance From Dust:
Practicing on the floor can bring you to direct contact with the dust and dirt. Sometimes it causes health issues from the dirt and dust on the hands. Especially while outdoor, it is always better to carry a mat to maintain hygiene.
Keeps Warm:
During the cold weather of winter, it can keep the body warm. Early morning practices can be easily be carried by avoiding direct contact with the floor.
Maintain Body Balance:
For long-time body balances, it is essential to have stability on the floor. The mat allows to maintain the body balance with poses and balances in yoga are the main criteria. Using the floor directly will always create problems from one way to other.
How Much Is A Yoga Mat Essential?
The above discussions may have already given a clear idea about the necessity of a yoga mat. Peace of mind, balancing, focusing are altogether necessary. But it is not possible without a grip on the base or floor. While performing asanas, it is obvious that the body sweats. The sweats cause additional chances to slip when you balance on your legs and hands.
Sitting on the mat, you can spend few minutes meditating and release the stress. Also, relax for some time all together, it is a complete solution for doing the asanas. Without a yoga mat acquiring complete comfort and practicing yoga perfectly is not possible. The benefits of the yoga mats are also accepted by popular yogis.