Customer Rating:  
Summary: Excellent mat for yoga or pilates
Comment: I use this mat primarily for my Pilates workouts, and I have been very pleased with it thus far. I work on a concrete surface covered with laminate tile flooring, so the thickness is a big plus and makes my work surface tolerable. Barefoot standing exercises don't result in sliding, cross-legged exercises allow for comfort when concentrating, and exercises on my back are painless for my tailbone and shoulderblades!
Pros:
+ extra thick
+ does not slide
+ attractive colors
Cons:
- as with all mats, I'd like this one to be wider, although it's not really a con since an average-sized person such as myself will fit on this just fine; it's extra-long but I would love extra-wide all the same
A great buy overall.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Thick
Comment: This is a nice, thick yoga mat. Thick enough to pad your knees. Not too thick, so as to prevent balancing while standing on one foot. Rinse it with water, and there is no problem with slickness.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Thick, but slick
Comment: This is easily the thickest yoga matt I’ve ever seen. It is great for cross legged positions, especially if you get pains in your ankles. However I constantly slide in downward facing dog. When my hands get the least bit sweaty it’s a major effort to stay in form. I find myself hoping my abs don’t give out before the 5 breaths are up. I can’t concentrate on the stretch. The extra thickness makes you feel unstable for inversions like the head stand and for tree pose. The corner of my mat has started to come apart and it's practically brand new.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good Product, good service
Comment: The yoga mats Drishi sold us are great although I wish they were a bit wider (only 2 ft wide). Special instructions about delivery were followed. All went well.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Two Sides to All Yoga Mats; Know Which Side is Up
Comment: Yoga mats come in three basic thicknesses with a newer fourth thickness becoming increasingly available. At 1/4 inch, this mat is one of the latter kind that tops even the "thick" mats (3/16" thick) designed for those who need or want extra cushion. At 24" x 68" it is the standard width and length. Mats that are about one fourth as thick as this one (1/16") are good for travel or placing under a thicker mat to provide more traction. The average mats are about 1/8."
There are two sides to this and nearly all yoga mats. Look carefully at the 'bumps' on each side of the mat. The larger bumps are designed to face upwards to cushion your hands, feet, and knees during poses while keeping your body from dangerously slipping out of alignment. The smaller bumps are designed to face downwards to grip the floor and keep the yoga mat from sliding. Many mats have a label on one end with the name of the brand. This is typically, but not always, located on the 'up' side. The bumps will tell you for sure.
This yoga mat will increase in softness and stickiness with use. (So do most mats.) They start out mildly sticky and increase in stickiness the more they are used. You will want to wash your mat when it first arrives so as to remove the thin film they get on their surface during the manufacturing process. Instructions for washing the mat are included. Once you've washed and dried your mat you're ready to begin! After using it for a while, if you find the mat decreasing in stickiness each time you pull it out, this is the typical sign that a light coating of dust or too much body sweat has accumulated on your mat and it needs a light hand washing with very diluted soap and water. After washing, roll your mat in a thick towel to squeeze out the excess water, otherwise it will take forever to dry in the air. Then, air dry your mat unrolled, inside, and away from sunlight. (Hanging over the shower bar works nicely.)
When you first unroll your mat you will find one end to be a bit curled. Simply alternate the direction you roll your mat (top outside once, then bottom outside next) or the end you start from (curled end once, flat end next time) and you'll find it straightening out more or less over time.
I recommend buying your own yoga mat even if your yoga studio or gym provides them for you. I've worked in many studios and gyms over the years. Sometimes management has mats cleaned often, sometimes not. If you bring your own mat you always know where it's been. :o) Plus, owning your own mat may encourage you to begin valuable practice at home.
For my students who have trouble with their knees in some of the poses requiring the body weight to rest on a knee, I recommend temporarily folding over one end of the mat to get double cushion under the knee while still leaving one layer under the rest of the body. This saves you having to haul more than one mat out each time you practice which can be discouraging especially to the beginner.
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