Yoga mats come in three basic thicknesses. At 1/8" this mat is of average thickness. At 24" x 68" it is also the standard width and length. Mats that are about half a thick as this one are good for travel or placing under a thicker mat to provide more traction. The thick mats (3/16") are about 50% thicker than this one and are designed for those who need or want extra cushion.
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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Drishti Standard Yoga Mat
This is a great sturdy yoga bag. It's big enough to fit my oversize mat and my full mat size yoga towel with room to spare. It has a side pocket to fit keys, shoes, etc also. I get a ton of compliments on this bag about the overall quality and how pretty and feminine the flowers make it.
