History of the Yoga Mat
Over 5000 thousand years ago, when the practice of yoga began in India, students and teachers sat on dirt floors, grass or deer or tiger skins. The skins came from animals that had died of natural causes. No animals were harmed to get the skins. Back then, yoga was predominately a practice of seated breathing and meditation. The asanas or poses came along much later in the late 1800’s. As the more physical practice of yoga began, practitioners needed more support. Woven rugs began to be used for yoga practices, but they didn’t provide the grip or cushioning needed. In the 1960’s, Angela Farmer, a long-practicing yogi, started using the foam carpet underlay as a yoga mat. In 1982, the yoga “sticky” mat is we know it today was created.
Why do we need a yoga mat?
A yoga mat provides cushioning and stability. The “stickiness” of the mat allows our feet, knees, and hands to have a good grip, so we are not sliding around in our table pose, Warrior poses or any other pose.
The standard yoga mat is 24 inches wide, 68 inches long, and 3/16th of an inch thick. Longer and thicker mats are available. Mats also come in many colors. Today, you can find mats made from four different types of materials:
1) PVC:
· Cheap and light weight
· Not environmentally friendly (they don’t break down in a landfill)
· May have a strong odor from the substances used to make the mat which could be toxic
2) Rubber: (My “go-to” mat is the Jade Harmony Yoga mat made from rubber.)
· More expensive and heavier than PVC mats
· Biodegradable – made from natural rubber trees
· Sticky which provides a good grip for poses
3) PER (Polymer Environmental Resin):
· Affordable
· Biodegradable and non-toxic
· Not as sticky as PVC, providing less of a grip
4) TPE (Thermoplastic elastomer):
· Light weight
· Least durable
· Biodegradable and non-toxic
Whatever color, style, or material you choose, your mat is a necessary tool in your practice.