06 Oct 5 reasons for buying your own yoga mat and 1 against
Every decent yoga centre should be equipped with free yoga mats available for yoga practitioners, yet many newcomers starting their adventure with yoga are considering purchase of their own mats. Is it worth it? You’ll find below 5 solid reasons for buying it and one for not buying.
1. Hygiene
You have to be aware that yoga mats in yoga centres are used by everyone including those who shower every 15 minutes and smell of violets, those who haven’t showered for weeks as well as those who have some skin problems or worse, fungal infections. Whatever comes to your mind. If you use you own mat, you can be sure that it is as hygienic as you choose it to be. For me, this is quite a convincing reason to buy a mat.
2. The mat in the yoga center is not the mat of your dreams
Mats in yoga centers can be of different quality: too dirty, too short, too thick, too thin, too slippery. Sometimes their color just simply does not match the color of your yogic stylizations. In this situation, for your physical and mental comfort I suggest buying a mat that will be ideally suited for your very own needs and expectations.
3. You like / want to practice yoga at home
There comes a moment when exercising in the yoga center is not enough. You want to experiment a little at home, or you dream about waking up at five in the morning and starting the day with few rounds of sun salutations or in the evening, before bedtime, you want to get really sweaty. If you have such obsessive thoughts, it’s a sign that it’s time to buy a mat.
4. You like to carry around large objects
Yoga mat, except for a few exceptions, is not small. If you use it in many yoga centres, not only at home, then you have to be aware that you will be carrying it around a lot. If your mat rides with you in the car, there is no drama. Maybe except harsh winter, when your mat gets icy cold so your first downward facing dogs feel like walking on ice. If you travel by bike, it’s also pretty convenient to take your mat with you. Yet you have to rememeber than when you park your bike, you have to take your yoga mat with you, otherwise it may be the last time you see it. Carrying a mat while traveling by public transport is a bit more tricky though. It is not a stroller for quintuplets or anything as huge, but everyone standing next to you will surely be thinking about your mat warmly, especially in a rush hour. You can be more than sure about that.
5. You want to practice yoga on the go
You go on vacation or travel a lot, you want to practice yoga in a hotel, plane or at the airport, but you prefer to exercise on your mat and not on the carpet, which looks clean at first sight, but has already seen and experienced a lot. In such a situation, it is also worth considering the purchase of a mat. If I were you I would opt for light, travel version. Other mats will simply occupy millions of cubic meters of valuable space in your suitcase or backpack.
And last but not least, one reason against buying yoga mat, at least at the beginning of your yoga journey:
1. Yoga mat as a motivational gadget
You think that if you spend millions of coins on your new yoga mat, it will motivate you to train yoga more often. I am afraid that you might be wrong, especially if you attend your first class ever. Mats purchased too early usually end up somewhere under the bed or at the bottom of wardrobe, take up space and collect dust. First of all, make sure that yoga is your thing and that you attend classes regularly and then buy a mat, not the other way round.
But which mat to choose? Answer coming soon, so stay tuned.
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