One of the beauties of yoga is that it needs nothing but your mind, body and a safe surface to practise on. In ancient traditions, yogis focused purely on meditation and breathing, so they simply used folded cloths or cotton rugs, but as asanas started to develop, the need for better grip and greater cushioning arose. Enter the dedicated yoga mat. Starting life as an adapted piece of carpet underlay, and transitioning through ‘sticky’ foam mats and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the latest incarnations include earth-friendly materials such as natural rubber and cork, and offer all the criteria the modern yogi needs.
If you’re looking for a new mat, there are several things to consider. First, reflect on the type of yoga you’ll be doing. If you’re a fan of hot yoga, for example, you’ll need a mat with exceptional grip so if you do get sweaty, you won’t lose your footing; if you favour dynamic practices such as ashtanga, where you’ll be jumping from pose to pose, good cushioning will be vital (the same applies if
