Rubber Yoga Mat

One of the most important investments you require to make even before you start off with your program of doing yoga is purchasing a yoga mat. This is one of the most crucial investments you need to make.

A) The mat is beneficial to you in the following aspects:

a) It prevents you from falling and provides you good amount of grip.

b) It provides you safety and it lets you perform all the asanas without any difficulty.

c) It allows you to stay away from sweat and the distraction caused by sweat while performing yoga.

d) A yoga mat provides good support for your back when you lie down.

e) The yoga mat lets you perform all your asanas just the way you should.

B) There are several things you need to consider prior to purchasing a yoga mat. This will make sure that you have made the best possible deal:

a) Learn

Try to gain sound knowledge on different types of yoga mats available. You need to know what material these are made of, what each mat specializes in and how they differ from each other.

b) Research

In order to get the best deal, you need to do a little bit of homework on your side. Try to make a good research on various shops selling yoga mats, the quality they deal in and prices each dealer offers you. Compare and then make a choice.

This review is from: Gaiam Tree of Life Yoga Mat
I have had this mat for three months, using 3-4 times a week for a 1 hour class, and it falling apart, coming into pieces all over, and now on my clothes. I have never had this happen with a mat, and I have three other ones I still use that are nearly 5 years old. But this was a gift and I guess I broke it in! And I am only 158lbs and not used in a power yoga class…just a standard Astanga.
This review is from: Gaiam Tree of Life Yoga Mat

Upon purchasing this mat I was very pleased, loving the design and stickiness. I have only been doing yoga for 5 months and my mat is already stretching. I was not sure what to look for in a mat, and should have done some research first. When in down-dog my mat stretches and sort of bunches up in front of my fingers and behind my toes. It has also never flattened completely.
This review is from: Gaiam Tree of Life Yoga Mat
I’ll be honest this is my very first yoga mat but I can’t believe I waited so long to get one. This mat is good and sticky. It really helps me reach my full length in various poses such as downward facing dog and even bending forward in cobbler’s pose etc.

I have noticed a smell of plastic when my nose is pushed up to the mat but no other time. I do not have any sensitivity to chemical smells but I do live in a house with someone who does and he can’t smell a thing. I have only had it a few days; however I expect the smell will eventually be undetectable even up close, much like a new car.

The color is very pretty, a soothing green with a light greenish-yellow tree. The tree is screened on. Some people may feel this is a bad thing as screened on images sometimes begin to peel off. This image appears to be very secure to the surface and I have no such worry.

Product Description

• A yoga mat is really the only thing that you tend to use on every yoga workout. It cushions your feet and gives you stability during some of the stretching moves. This mat is a full 1/4″ thick and provides great cushion for your yoga routines.First, a note about all yoga mats. Because of what they are made of, they tend to have a chemical type of smell when you first get them. This is normal! You simply air them out for a few days, perhaps wipe them down with soap and water, and this will dissipate. It’s like breaking in a new pair of boots – you have to go through that initial phase.I found the mat to be really wonderful. It is cushiony enough that it supports me in a variety of poses, whether I’m standing, kneeling, laying down, stretching. It is far better than doing yoga on a bare floor – whether that might be wood, stone, carpet or whatever. The cushion is really important for many poses.Even though it has that nice cushion, it is also stable too. You feel quite firmly planted when you are doing balancing positions. It’s not like you are trying to balance on top of a trampoline.The mat is a good middle ground between “resistant to sliding” and “too sticky”. You can readjust your feet when you need to – but if you want to plant your hands, it helps keep your hands in place.I also really like that the mats comes in a wide variety of colors. People are more likely to exercise if they really like their exercise equipment. If you love green, go for green. I got the light lavender and really like it. To me it is calming and relaxing. Whatever color energizes or relaxes you, you probably can find it here.The mat might be a little bulky to carry around with you, but you can get a lighter mat for use when you travel. This one is just perfect as an at-home mat, to really give you a solid base for whatever level of yoga you are currently at.
  Highly recommended!

   

• The thickness of this mat is very comfortable. It’s much better than the 1/8″ mat which I find it too thin. This 1/4″ mat gives me enough padding when I sit, and it doesn’t throw me off balance when I stand. I also like the length of this mat which is 4″ longer than the standard size mat. It’s so good to have so much room to stretch when I lay down. Item arrived within the delivery estimate time. Very prompt service.
• I am a daily yoga practitioner who purchased two of these mats in different colors. I was looking for a bargain, and I was encouraged by the high customer ratings. I am very disappointed. First of all, Yoga Accessories did not send me the items until 3+ weeks after I had ordered them. I had to write two e-mails to them. I received replies that they were sorry, they had been meaning to write me and tell me that the colors I had wanted were out of stock and did I want to select other colors. Then, when I did that and finally received the mats, they had a sharp, unpleasant chemical odor that has failed to disappear even after many days of use. This is bothersome during yoga, and I have to light several scented candles and incense sticks to mask the odor.Perhaps WORST of all, the mats are not sufficiently sticky to hold asanas. For example, my hands slide 1 mm per second in correct Downward Facing Dog pose. It should be noted that I do not have sweaty hands and never have. This is very frustrating because this slippery mat basically defeats the purpose of what it was created for: proper positioning and hold of yoga poses. I have not had this problem with other mats for which I have paid slightly more money.The only advertising that is true is that the mat is, indeed, slightly thicker than other mats I have owned. But that really doesn’t make much of a difference if one cannot hold a pose on the mat.Despite my correct usage and storage of it, I absolutely do not recommend this product. Find a better quality yoga mat if you need the mat for actual yoga. This one might be appropriate only for other sports like aerobics or jumping rope. I almost hurt myself slipping out of a pose on this mat.