Eco Friendly Yoga Mats
Using an eco friendly yoga mat is an important way for yogis to stay in harmony with their personal values every day – an integral part of the spiritual, holistic values that yoga embraces.
It’s funny that for a practice that connect the mind and body, and emphasizes spirituality, that many yogi’s march around town with a rubber yoga mat in a yoga bag over their shoulder, with no clue about the impact of that yoga mat on the environment.
Yoga mats take energy and materials to produce, and also eventually wear out and end up in landfills. Using an eco friendly yoga mat will minimize your negative impact on the environment in both of these areas.
Do You Sacrifice Usability With An Eco Friendly Yoga Mat?
The good news is that you can still have a great comfortable, thick and cushioned, stable and sticky yoga mat, even if you make the investment and pay a bit more for an eco-friendly yoga mat.
The main advantage to using an eco yoga mat is that these mats are now being offered as denser and longer-wearing products. After all, if you go through twice as many yoga mats due to inferior materials or durability, then the positive impact you have by using these recycled or natural materials in your yoga mat is certainly lessened. Of course, most of the eco yoga mats that you will find at a yoga store do not carry the “made in USA,” mark but they are nevertheless very useful products all the same.
How Does an Eco Friendly Yoga Mat Compare With The Traditional Yoga Mat?
A good eco-friendly yoga mat will use open cell rubber foam which has the unique ability to absorb whatever sweat falls on the surface and this means safer yoga since there is no risk of your slipping on wet puddles on the mat and you can therefore slide and expend all your energies in doing difficult astanga and vinyasa and even power yoga poses without any fear.
Compare this with the other yoga mats that are made out of closed cell foams that also contain PVC which is in fact a toxic by-product derived from the oil industry. Furthermore, eco yoga mats are made from natural materials and they also last longer than the best PVC mat and in addition you will find that using an eco yoga mat ensures that you are treading quite lightly on Mother Earth.
The major downside of investing in an eco-friendly yoga mat is that they tend to cost a little bit more. That’s not surprising, as it is often less expensive to just crank out plastic or petroleum based products than to harvest and process many natural materials. The traditional rubber yoga mat might run you $25-30, while an eco friendly yoga mat may cost $45-$60, depending on where you get it.
Some good reasons why you should opt for an eco yoga mat include the fact that they are biodegradable and they are also washable that ensures that you always have a clean yoga mat on which to perform your yoga poses.
When you buy your next yoga mat, also remember to think about whether it will be easy to travel with – especially if you like to practice yoga outdoors or go on yoga vacations. Also consider getting a yoga mat bag to help you carry and protect your yoga mat.
Although a yoga mat may seem like a lowly accessory to your spiritual yoga practice, having the right tools and materials, especially a safe and stable yoga surface is an essential part of enjoying and reaping maximum benefit from the time you spend on your yoga. Investing in an eco friendly yoga mat is just a logical part of that process.