Without yoga mat straps or a yoga mat bag, carrying a full size yoga mat around can be very difficult and cumbersome, but with minimal expense the problem can be easily solved. Basically these yoga mat straps consist of a shoulder harness and two buckled or velcro loops that wrap around a rolled up yoga mat.

In the past, these yoga mat straps were more suited to the thinner yoga mats, but these days yoga mat straps are available in a variety of different sizes, colours and styles to suit any desire or budget – and can even handle thick yoga mats.

Even if you don’t need to transport your thick yoga mat around, yoga mat straps can be a very useful accessory for minimizing the size and space your thick yoga mat takes up when you are storing it in your cupboard or closet.

YogaAccessories™ has a clever, lightweight yoga mat strap that fits both the Classic 1/8” thick yoga mats and the Extra Thick Deluxe 1/4” yoga mats, plus many others. It can also be used to carry a yoga mat rug or blanket. The harness has two quick release buckles, each on an adjustable loop that wraps around your yoga mat. The shoulder harness strap is solid, durable, and reinforced for long life and comfort and each sling is beautifully patterned on a solid black.

The Original Post is Located here: Yoga Mat Straps

Yoga mat towels are specifically designed to help you to avoid slipping and to keep your area clean and dry during your yoga sessions. So for just a minor investment, you can greatly enhance your yoga experience, and take your yoga to the next level and best of all, these towels can last a lifetime!

When buying a yoga mat towel, you need to consider the cost, reputation and strengths and weaknesses of the towel before making any purchase. You also need to consider the size you need to effectively work with your yoga mat as these yoga mat towels come in a number of different sizes.

You will want to give some priority to yoga mat towels made from high quality materials. This is because you will always perspire during yoga sessions and these yoga mat towels need to be able to absorb most of that sweat. Obviously you will want to avoid any unpleasant odours from this perspiration so you will need a yoga mat towel that is able to withstand regular washing.

Yoga mat towel costs range from as low as $19 to over $50 depending on the quality, material and strength of the yoga mat towel as well as the brand or manufacturer.

One of the better yoga mat towels available is the Yogitoes Skidless premium yoga mat towel, which was specifically created to prevent slipping while practicing yoga. This yoga mat towel works intuitively: simply place the side with the silicone eco nubs face down on your yoga mat. Once you distribute your weight in a yoga posture, the eco nubs start gripping the mat, thus keeping your hands or feet from slipping in mid-stretch.

This yoga mat towel is 80 percent polyester and 20 percent nylon material, making it super absorbent, and putting a hygienic layer between you and your exercise equipment. The towel is also machine-washable and dryer-safe (it’s designed to dry fast) making it perfect for traveling and measures 24 by 68 inches.

Yogitoes Skidless Yoga Mat Towel Features:-

• Premium mat-size yoga towel for slip prevention
• 100 percent silicone eco nubs grip the mat or carpet
• Keeps your hands and feet from slipping mid-stretch
• 80/20 polyester-nylon blend is super absorbent
• Machine-washable and dryer-safe; measures 24 x 68 inches

The Original Post is Located here: Yoga Mat Towel

Jade yoga mats are made from natural rubber from Asia and transformed into a perfect mat for yoga practice by applying modern Western technology – all mats are made sustainably here in the U.S.A. in compliance with all U.S. environmental and labor laws.

They provide an optimum grip and offer quality cushioning and resilience – try one out and I am sure you will feel the difference.

The Jade Fusion yoga mat is Jade Yoga’s extra thick yoga mat at 5/16 inch thick and provides that extra bit of cushioning, making it equally suitable for Pilates and other core fitness practices and exercise routines.

As all Jade yoga mats are made from open cell, natural rubber, you won’t have to worry about any slipping, even if your mat gets wet from perspiration. Natural rubber has superior slip resistance ensuring a solid grip no matter what, as well as providing resilience, compression set resistance and extra cushioning, resulting in a great blend of comfort and performance.

The natural rubber used to create Jade yoga mats is a renewable resource containing no PVC or ozone depleting substances. Jade Yoga believes in being good to your body and good to the Earth – so with each sale of a Jade yoga mat, Jade Yoga in partnership with Trees for the Future will plant a tree.

Jade Fusion 68-inch Yoga Mat Features:

• Made in the U.S.A. from 100 percent natural rubber
• Natural rubber contains no ozone-depleting chemicals and is biodegradable
• The open cell natural rubber is non-slip and provides great grip to help hold your poses
• Size: 24 by 68 by 5/16-inches (W x H x D)
• Through a partnership with Trees for the Future, Jade plants a tree for each and every one of the Jade yoga mats sold.

The Original Post is Located here: Jade Yoga Mats

Long before sticky yoga mats became popular cotton rugs were the choice for many yogis. Now more than ever there is good reason to return to cotton. 100% organic, eco-friendly, sweat absorbing and great looks make cotton yoga mats a fantastic choice for a second mat or even your primary mat.

Some cotton yoga mats designed for Ashtanga or Power yoga where grip whilst sweating is required feature very coarse weaves. These mats increases their grip as they get wetter, the opposite to a normal yoga mat. Again, the cotton mat is often used with a standard yoga mat to keep it in place

As an added bonus, sometimes the cotton weave lines in the pattern can be used as guides for your hands and feet to help you achieve correct alignment, plus with some .

Cotton yoga mats are available in rich vibrant colours and patterns and many mats also have ties attached for easy roll-up and storage, while some also have their own carrying strap. Because they are so portable and easily washed, these cotton yoga mats also make great sleeping mats to take with you on retreat.

Organic 100% cotton yoga mats are one of the most eco-friendly yoga mats available as they are completely biodegradable, PVC and latex free. Hence, a lot of people prefer cotton yoga mats to the standard mats. However, in the end, it’s really a personal preference, but if you like the feel of cotton, then these mats are a great choice.

The Original Post is Located here: Cotton Yoga Mats

While yoga mats do need to provide some cushioning, they also need to allow the practitioner to have a good feel of the floor, especially for those poses done in a standing position. This is not as important with a Pilates mat and in fact, most Pilates mats are quite a bit thicker to provide more padding against the floor – rolling exercises such as the Open Leg Rocker and the Seal are no fun without a decent amount of padding.

A good Pilates mat should be at least half an inch (12.5 mm) thick – there are a lot of mats marketed as Pilates mats that are thinner than this, but they aren’t genuine Pilates mats, they are really just yoga cross-over mats (possibly referred to as Yoga Pilates Mats).

A Yoga Pilates mat should also be firm – a mat that is too soft will not provide the proper alignment and support.

Make sure the Yoga Pilates mat is the right size for you, both in length and width. Typical roll up mats can vary from 72 inches(183 cm) to 86 inches(219 cm) in length and 21 inches (53 cm) to 39 inches (100 cm) in width. The folding type mats usually found in studios are usually significantly larger, around 8 foot (244 cm) by 4 foot (122 cm) in size. However, the roll up mats offer the added benefit of being portable and easy to store.

These roll up yoga Pilates mats are usually made from dense foam or rubber, with the closed cell foam mats being the best available. They are usually thicker and firmer than regular foam mats, which tend to be made of a softer foam covered with something similar to vinyl and are a bit squishy.

Unlike Yoga classes, most Pilates studios supply Pilates mats so Pilates students are rarely expected to bring their own. However, do you really want to be rolling around on a Pilates mat that has been used by a myriad of other people, or would you rather use your own personal Pilates mat? Of course if you have your own Yoga Pilates mat, you can take it along to the studio, but the other reason to get a Yoga Pilates mat is to use it for your home workouts.

As to be expected, Yoga Pilates mats are available in a variety of styles, sizes and colors, so look for a mat that fits you and suits your lifestyle. You may also want one that comes with yoga mat straps to keep the mat rolled up for easier storage and carrying or you can look at some of the excellent yoga mat bags that are widely available.

The Original Post is Located here: Yoga Pilates Mat

Whether you are looking for a neat slim line neat, slim-line yoga bag or a larger yoga bag that can hold not only a rolled up yoga mat or pilates yoga mat, but also extra items such as a towel, clothing and personal items, there is a yoga mat bag available to suit everyone.

The most popular yoga mat bags are those designed to be worn over the shoulder and should be able to accommodate any thickness of yoga mat, while remaining comfortable to carry. They should also feature full length zips for easy access, adjustable shoulder straps and be lightweight. Many also have internal and/or external pockets to protect your personal items during your classes.

There is also a wide array of materials available, from organic cotton to go with your eco-friendly yoga mat, to satin or silk, canvas and nylon – there are even water-resistant yoga mat bags just in case you get caught in a downpour on your way to yoga classes.

Some yoga mat bags come in fashionable printed designs so that you can travel in style, showing your yoga bag off as a high-fashion accessory.

If you only have a short distance to travel or your budget is tight and you cannot afford one of the cheaper yoga mat bags, then a simple yoga mat strap would do the trick for you – being a very simple and easy way to carry even a thick yoga mat.

The Original Post is Located here: Yoga Mat Bags

The vast majority of yoga mats available today in the US are made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a very environmentally unfriendly product, being extremely polluting to manufacture and dispose of, PVC has also been linked with being carcinogenic. PVC is also not biodegradable and and remains on the shelf, in the environment, or in the landfill – when it is burned in a landfill it releases dioxin, hydrochloric acid, and other toxins. It is almost impossible to recycle, which is why so little of it is recaptured.

Though it’s been largely banned in Europe and by some progressive companies such as IKEA, PVC is still the most widely used material for yoga mats in the US. If PVC is so toxic, then why is it still being used in consumer products such as yoga mats? Well, the short answer is because it’s cheap.

Eco-friendly yoga mats (or eco yoga mats) are typically made from natural materials, such as rubber, jute or organic cotton. Rubber, jute and cotton mats, are available in a range of thicknesses and tend to be a little thicker and slicker than PVC mats. You will have no problem finding an eco yoga mat that has the thickness that meets your needs for comfort and portability and a texture (such as a raised geometric pattern) that prevents slippage.

The original Eco Yoga Mat was composed exclusively of natural rubber together with jute fiber. There were no artificial additives used to make these mats, distinguishing them form many other rubber yoga mats available. Its rubber underside grips the floor well and the jute fabric/rubber mix on the top offers superb traction – even in a heavy sweat. It has a highly durable, tactile, and pleasantly natural surface making it an ideal mat for practising your yoga. The mat combines a cloth surface and sticky mat in one bringing to mind the feeling of walking barefoot on the earth. The mat is biodegradable, but as with all rubber products it does contain some latex.

Yet another advancement on eco-friendly yoga mats can be found in the popular Revolution Yoga Mat, which uses Natural Rubber as a base layer, due to it’s strong, resilient nature and the fact that it does not contain plasticizers or VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) making it the eco- friendly choice for this application. The other vital performance element is the scrim – a thin sheet of light-weight, woven cotton. When the cotton scrim is applied within the rubber layers, it limits stretching and provides a strong, stable practice surface. Vulcanization is used (instead of toxic glues) to bond the materials together, and the implementation of a dual scrim stabilizes the mat and limits surface stretch.The dual scrim also promotes the surface integrity by helping the mat to lay flat and eliminate bunching as you shift your weight during poses.

If you have latex and other chemical sensitivities and allergies then please be aware that rubber yoga mats do contain latex. If you do have such sensitivities or allergies then one possible alternative is a yoga mat made from TPE foam (thermoplastic elastomer), a newly developed and patented material that is resilient, non-slip, and incredibly lightweight. Although not made from natural materials, TPE yoga mats are biodegradable and therefore still classified as eco-friendly yoga mats.

The Original Post is Located here: Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats

A sticky yoga mat is an extremely important piece of equipment as it will keep you from sliding all over the place and help you maintain your alignment as you move from one pose to another, especially when you hold poses for several seconds. They are even more important if you are doing fast paced and demanding Ashtanga yoga or holding your poses in place during hot yoga classes like Bikram.

The sticky yoga mat is probably the most familiar type of yoga mat for most people. Basic, readily available and inexpensive, the sticky yoga mat would be a good choice for a beginner or someone who does not practice yoga on an regular, extensive basis. PVC mats have the highest sticky factor, but remember that these mats are only sticky when they are clean. If you buy a PVC mat, wash it before you use it and again whenever you notice your hands sliding forward in downward dog.

Sticky yoga mats are not necessarily the best choice of a yoga mat when it comes to the environment or one’s health, however. If this is the case then you can choose to use a rubber mat – rubber yoga mats are durable and generally made from natural rubber from trees, although rubber yoga mats can also be made synthetically.

Sticky yoga mats made from rubber are environmentally sustainable or eco-friendly, long-lasting, and come in a variety of thicknesses. Rubber mats can have a strong odour, however, which some people find unpleasant, they can break down if left in the sun and are a bit more expensive than PVC mats. One of the best sticky yoga mats currently available is the Gaiam sticky yoga mat or if your budget permits, the Gaiam premium sticky yoga mat – top these off with a Gaiam sticky yoga mat towel and you will be good to go!

Choosing a sticky yoga mat depends largely on the student’s personal requirements and physique, as well as the type of yoga being practised. With so many types of yoga mats available on the market, there is a yoga mat appropriate for every yoga student, however, our personal preference is for a thick yoga mat that is also a sticky yoga mat – the perfect combination.

The Original Post is Located here: Sticky Yoga Mat