Nagy Wilson—200-hour Ashtanga yoga practitioner at Brooklyn's Hill House—appreciates the look of Oko Living's Herbal Mat for yoga at home, and the good knowledge that woven materials support artisans and preserve ancient crafts. "It's handcrafted from super soft cotton, which offers great hold especially when you're sweating," says Wilson. "The underside is covered in natural rubber that prevents the rug from slipping," he adds, and it all rolls up into its own woven carry bag.
Best travel yoga mat: Manduka Eko Superlite
If you're cool with slightly thinner mats, the Eko is a very popular alternative to Manduka's Pro Lite Travel Series. Wilson says he always travels with Superlite for a few reasons: “The surface of the natural rubber provides solid contact. And it's super thin at just 1.5mm which means it can easily roll or fold when you need to save space.” Just note that the thinner density will be tough on joints, But you can always double up as a towel or blanket on top if you need more cushion under your feet.
Best yoga mat for beginners: Lululemon Take Form
Lululemon's ultra-smooth, colorful mats are some of the best-looking options, and the new Take Form mat is no exception, with a smooth marble surface that comes in a range of hues. It works like a cheat sheet for beginners, 3D mapping of the quadrants where people should line up their feet for standing poses or place their hands in a plank position. Warrior II feels less intimidating, and easier to achieve, when you get a feel for where to plant your feet. While we've never had a problem with the mats we've owned staining even after years of use, we hear that Lululemon rubber can accumulate yellow stains from sweat, which is something to consider if you tend to schvitz copiously on your rug. That's why we still recommend Manduka as our top choice (which comes with a guarantee if its surface quickly breaks down over time). Still, there's always the option of layering with a sweat towel if you're worried.
Best Commuter Yoga Mat: Jade Voyager
You don't want to be That young man On the subway during rush hour, rush to set up for your evening class as your rug sticks out awkwardly out of your bag ready to get stuck in locked doors, turnstiles, or knock over a toddler. For those on the go, the Jade Yoga's are lightweight, ultra-thin, foldable Voyager Mate is completely portable. It weighs just over a pound, folds to about the size of a yoga block, and fits inside with ease handbagsAnd the BackpacksAnd the sports bags. It's only 1.6mm thick, so if you need a little more support, just throw it over a rental mat from your yoga studio and you'll still get excellent grip without the germs or fuss of a sweaty towel.
Best budget-friendly yoga mat: BalanceForm
If you haven't been all into yoga yet, you probably don't want to spend around $100 on a fancy mat that you may only use twice. This $15 investment should do the trick. Better yet, you can do more than just yoga! This mat is also a cushiony surface to stretch on after a workout, a 15-minute home meditation, or some sunbathing on a Sunday afternoon. And who doesn't love a free maternity belt?
10 other yoga mats and accessories we love
Gaiam wouldn't be our top choice for yoga mats since its options tend to be less attractive than we'd like, and don't hold up as well for long periods of time. But if you're just looking for another affordable, versatile mat to work out on, we recommend the 10mm Fitness Mat, which is thicker than the Jade Fusion above for switching between a variety of exercises comfortably—from jogging to burpees to vinyasa poses—and without wetting. from the neighbors downstairs. Fortunately, it even includes its own carrying strap for carrying it around, or just hanging it up after your last sweat session.
And if you like the look of the Oko Living mat above, but don't want to drop a full Benjamin on your mat, Jade Yoga also sells a beautiful yoga mat that's thick enough to stand on its own, or work as a topper. Layer over your regular mat for a sweaty vinyasa season. It is handwoven by artisans in India and clocks in at a manageable three pounds for carrying here and there.
When a teacher tells you to hold a block, it's not bad against your own awesome yoga powers. The blocks are simply there to help you unlock a deeper and more supportive expression of the pose. Blocks of cork provide balance and stability in a way that soft gym foam just can't. And perhaps most importantly, it looks absolutely gorgeous.
Another alternative? These are multipurpose curved Balance blocks from Bala brand for very fitness. It's made of dense foam that will support the curve of your spine if you're lying on one to stretch your chest muscles during an open-core exercise. Advanced yogis can even test their balance by resting their feet or hands on the flat ends and swinging on the curved edges.
No matter how sweat-proof the mat is, there's always the option to top it off with an absorbent yoga towel that will keep your feet dry as you transition from one pose to the next. It's lightweight, compact, easy to clean, and extra portable to pack away on long trips or to the gym.
Relaxing, restorative yoga is an excellent way to restore your sense of calm after a stressful day, and having a bolster (a fairly long and dense yoga cushion) is a very helpful prop for getting rid of savasana. Lamb considers the Hugger Mugger a "great choice" for restorative poses. "It's a simple but huge boost to calm the nervous system and get the most out of a (sometimes very short) rest period," says Lamb.
We also love the look of this new opaque supporter from Alo Yoga (which also doesn't scream "exercise accessory!!" if you want to use it as extra lumbar support on your bench). It's full of buckwheat hulls that give it a good heft, and Tarpaulin The easy-to-wipe exterior after you've laid your sweaty back on it for your restorative sessions.
Whether it's thrown in for a simple stretch or to increase resistance in a restorative position, you can access more zen with a band that does some of the work for you. Lamb notices that there is no file Tone It's a bit of a variance in the bands out there (they all do basically the same thing, with some difference in width), so just make sure you get one that's easy to grip and resistant for a bigger release into your muscles.
Or, consider this two-part yoga accessory from Alo Yoga that combines the perfectly functional setup of a carrying strap for your mat with loose-fitting elastic panels. It'll help you stretch tired leg muscles after a heavy yoga session on lunges and warrior poses, then bundle everything up when you're ready to take yoga on the road.
Great for your practice at home And the DECOR YOUR HOME A humble Southwestern-inspired blanket always does the trick, whether it's laid over you in a corpse position or rolled just below your hamstrings in a tricky bathroom stretch.
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