What is the best Yoga & Pilates mat to use?

I often get asked what mat I use for Yoga and Pilates? Students wanting to know what the best mat is to use and what they should look out for in a good quality mat?

I don’t believe that there’s a right or wrong here, it’s all really about personal preference. Yoga mats range in thickness: typically on the thinner end of the scale between 3-4mm, and on the thicker end between 5 – 6mm.  I found that when I started yoga my preference was for a thinner mat – I just felt more grounded and secure on the mat, but this changed as my practice deepended.  The more time I spent on the mat, the longer I started playing and the more adventurous I got on the mat, the more I started feeling my bones (think knees, elbows, hip & bum bones, even my the vertebrae – especially during spinal rolls) – a bit more padding was required.

Unfortunately when transitioning to a thicker mat, I found balancing poses a lot more challenging – I often felt like I was sinking into the thick end of a plush carpet and struggled to find my grounding.  I tried out a host of mats over the years, and the problem I found with a lot of them, is that as soon as I started gripping into the mat, they would start flaking and peeling – leaving me with a sorry-ass looking mat that looked like a mouse had been nibbling at it.  This resulted in an often uncomfortable wobbly ride, which only worsened as I started sweating on the mat during more rigorous routines – slip and slide (and not in a good way).

Finding the Manduka Pro mat was like coming home for me – I finally found a mat that checked all my boxes:

This 6mm mat not only provided the cushioning I was looking for (doubling up perfectly for both Yoga and Pilates), but the dense rubber weave still felt like solid “ground” beneath me – balancing poses felt a lot more intuitive.

The mat’s closed-cell surface makes cleaning a breeze, but also appeals to the OCD germaphobe in me – it keeps moisture (think sweat and water when cleaning) from seeping into the mat and providing a breeding ground for bacteria.

This mat has incredible grip! Not only in terms of the mat itself not moving around on the floor once you’ve laid it out, but also in terms of how secure you actually feel on the mat as you begin moving around and sweating on it – the more you use the mat the better the grip becomes.

This mat comes with a lifetime guarantee to not fade, flake or peel.  Sure, I had to spend a bit more but it’s an investment I was more than happy to make.

When I recently started looking around local for suppliers of Manduka I was pleasantly surprised to discover Yoga Essentials. Their pricing was reasonable and didn’t sky-rocket, as did a lot of suppliers, post COVID-19 lockdown.  Their service was friendly, helpful  and super efficient.  In fact I was a little blown away by how fast I received my product. As they are an online service based in Durban, and I’m situated in Cape Town,  I thought it was going to be an uphill battle to receive my order.  I placed my order late on a Friday afternoon and imagine my surprise when I received it first thing Monday morning. I was also able to track my parcel the whole time from pick-up to delivery – great for peace of mind.

If you are serious about your playtime on the mat, I would definitely recommend checking out Manduka (it’s the only mat I use).  They have a host of mat options to choose from, even providing a “Long” length mat for those graced with taller frames:-)

That’s it for now – see you all for playtime on the mat😉

Till next time – Keep it Light😘

WelcOMe to Yoga, the ideal starter mat.

No, that isn’t a typo in the heading it’s the name of Manduka’s ‘starter’ mat, the WelcOMe mat.

The WelcOMe mat is a soft cushioned mat and lightweight. The closed-cell surface prevents sweat from seeping into the mat.

For those of you who are beginning your Yoga journey the mat has am alignment strip down the centre of the mat to help guide you in your poses.

 

So get your Manduka WelcOMe mat now at Yoga Essentials.

 

 

The natural way with the Manduka Eko and Eko-Lite

For those of you that want to practice on a natural substance, then the Manduka Eko and Ekolite is the mat for your practice. The mat is made from 100% sustainable non-Amazon harvested bio-degradable rubber and has awesome grip factor for the sweatiest of times.

It’s ideal for hot yoga or if you have very sweaty hands.

So now that you know that the Ekolite is for you, why not go to Yoga Essentials and order one now?

 

The Manduka Prolite – it’s not a baby Pro

So now you know all about the Manduka Pro, it’s time to introduce you to the Prolite.

The Prolite is made from the same materials as the Pro,but is 4mm thick and still offers great support. The Prolite as the name suggest is much lighter than the Pro so it makes it ideal for mobile yogi’s and teachers.

I have been using my Prolite for nearly 3 years now and it has developed a very comfortable feel whilst still looking and behaving like a new mat. It’s actually quite embarrassing sometimes !

There is a lifetime warranty on the PRolite, the same as the Pro.

The Manduka mats reviewed here are available from Yoga Essentials and they will deliver to your door!

 

Introducing the legendary Manduka Pro

Yesterday, we had a brief look at all the Manduka mats that are available. I hope that you found this useful.

Today we are going to take a look at the Manduka flagship mat, the Manduka PRO.

The Manduka Pro is the mat for a serious yogi or teacher who spend a lot of time on their mats. With a 6mm thickness it’s support system is unrivalled and will last a lifetime. In fact if there are any problems Manduka will replace it for free!

But why am I telling you this? Watch the video…. !

 

Manduka mats are available in the Yoga Essentials online store where they will be delivered to your door!

Finding Your Soul Mat

Selecting the ideal yoga mat for your practice is a very personal choice and can be quite confusing! There are so many questions that need to be answered. Questions like “Will I slip?”, “Is it suitable for for hot yoga?”, “Is it eco-friendly?”, “how long will it last?” “What colour?” are just a few of the most common asked.

It can be a daunting task and it is an important one as your mat is your space and you need to be comfortable with your mat for a long time. You don’t want to worry about your prime support system when doing your practice, after all the mat has to be ‘there’ with you.

I will be featuring a series of videos that have been developed by Manduka that will help you select your soul mat. The very first one will give an overview of Manduka’s most popular mats. There is one for everyone, I can guarantee it ! So here goes with the first video: Enjoy.


Oh, I almost forgot, all the mats featured are available from Yoga Essentials, so you can just order from their online store.