Most of the new yoga practitioners who want to try out yoga are not sure if they need a yoga mat or not. In reality, yoga mat isn't necessary in several situations when you are practicing yoga. For example, if you are practicing yoga at your home, you can do it well enough on your carpet or if you're doing it at your gym, you can always borrow one.
However, the need for yoga mat arises when you are serious about taking up the practice or due to certain circumstances aren't able to find the right place and are forced to do it on a hard floor. Although some yoga mats are plain in their texture, there are others, which have some interesting patterns to give you a better friction during highly challenging postures. Since yoga is all about bringing your mind and body to one point and connecting them, most of the yoga mats are designed to fit seamlessly with your personality and help you get the most out of your practice.
You might notice that there are costly mats that offer a high level of support or have a special design, but for most of the practitioners, the average mat will work well. Most beginners face confusion when choosing a mat since there are different ways to choose a yoga mat, due to the large variety of yoga types. What kind of yoga mat you choose to go for depends on various factors, the most important being the type of yoga you are practicing and what level of ability you possess.
If you are into more active and challenging poses or feel that you need more support, a mat that's thicker in nature would be the best for you. If you want better help in maintaining your posture while practicing, you might want to consider buying a textured mat.
However, if you are more involved in relaxing poses and need to carry around the mat as per your convenience, you should probably opt for a thinner mat. On the other hand, if you want a mat that's small and just the perfect size, do check out the sticky mats. These yoga mats happen to be thinly manufactured and come in a wide range of colors for you to select from.
Such mats are light in weight; so carrying them around won't be a problem. Most of these mats have simple guides that indicate where to put your hands and feet. If you are a starter and don't have much experience, having such guidance on the mat is very helpful till you are fine with the basic foot and hand placements. Also, these yoga mats have proven to be perfect for you to master the poses you want to learn easily and assist you in balancing yourself so that you don't slid or slip off.
Many yoga practitioners who do Bikram Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga find that the cotton mats are perfect for such poses. Since cotton mats are designed to soak in the sweat, they will greatly help you in remaining in your position without slipping off. If your mat isn't absorbent in nature, it can get difficult, as the wet surface generally tends to become greasy and slippery. The damp mat is a good way to combat this problem as it gives the grip needed by your hands and feet, and helps them stay exactly where you place them.
There are many different types of Yoga mats available for everyone, the trick is to find the one that's best for you and goes along with the kind of yoga you are practicing, while cushioning and taking the weight of the hard floor beneath it.
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