If you are just starting with Yoga, meditation, or aerobics, chances are you would need a good quality yoga mat. These are specially fabricated mats that offer a firm and sticky base to the user so his hands and knees do not get hurt. They are available only in a rectangular shape and can be neatly rolled over the ground. Post the sessions, they can be packed in a bag and tucked in a safe place.
The Washington Post hailed the emergence of Yoga Mats as “one of the most ubiquitous symbols of yoga’s commercialization” in one of its articles a few years back. It is considered a watershed moment in the spread of this Ancient Vedic meditation technique in the United States and other western countries, and the increasing number of yoga studios is a glowing testament to the same.
For those interested in the statistics, it is worth reminding that the market for Yoga in the United States is well worth more than 12 billion dollars currently. People are indeed going for a better experience while meditating- this is one good reason why you can even find expensive Yoga Mats in the range of USD 100,000 too as per the quality and customizations involved.
What is the best yoga mat for beginners?
Why do you even need one?
The simplest reason is that unrolling your yoga mat subconsciously prepares you for meditation or aerobics. It helps you understand the gravity of the situation, and can help you settle down with the idea that you should calm down and let the Supreme Power help you with some tranquility.
A more scientific reason to go with the best quality of yoga mat (as a beginner) is to know that meditation is a time- and resource-intensive exercise. It helps you produce and store positive electric charge (or positive energy) in your body. Insulation of charges and offering a fatigue-free experience are summarily two crucial reasons for using such tailor-made mats.
Did you know? If you would not use proper insulation, you could lose all that advantage to Earth which is theoretically assigned a voltage of Zero. So it would suck up all the positive charge of yours to bring you down to zero again, thus leading you depleted of energy and feeling tired.
Benefits of Meditation:
Starting with routine meditation is a conscious and rewarding choice. It can help you stay in a zone of calmness no matter what life throws at you, and you can well use this advantage to live fuller and better. It can also help you stay more resilient against seasonal illnesses, minor sprains and injuries, and can even boost your immunity to an appreciable extent.
Our virtual yoga experts tell us about the following benefits:
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Resilience against stress
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Newer and helpful perspective against anxiety and other mental illnesses
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More optimism
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Better self-awareness
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Improved emotional and physical reflexes
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Living in the present moment
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Increase of feel-good hormone and reduction of negative thoughts
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Better concentration
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Better work-related performance
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Improved memory
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Better emotional quotient (EQ)
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Newer life pattern
How to avail of online yoga teacher’s training?
Starting with a capable and experienced meditation trainer can help you start in a positive and more informed way. We recommend you start with such an expert through live sessions to get personalized and specialized guidance without going anywhere. Please note that you could avail of these live sessions through audio- and/or video-conferencing using your smartphone or tablet or laptop.
Free Guide: How To Work With An Online Yoga Expert?
This would also help you feel more positive because you would be working out in a home-based setup as per your time and preference. You can also bring in your friends and family members for group-based virtual sessions for a more reassuring experience any time you want.
The flexibility of time and place, coupled with a world-class meditation experience, can help you get the best bang for your buck in every such app-based virtual session. You can rest yourself assured that there would be no waiting periods or any need to take any appointments and you may thus get online with just a click on your smartphone.
The best yoga mat for beginners:
It is a tough one indeed. You should consider the following characteristics before figuring out the best yoga mat for yourself:
1. Understand your needs
2. Non-slip and anti-tear
3. Softness
4. The thickness of the mat
5. Material (Organic Cork or TPE)
6. Texture
7. Lightweight
8. Padding and stickiness
9. Ecofriendly and odorless (optional)
10. Ease of packing (rolling and unrolling)
11. Pricing
These are some of the factors that you should consider as a beginner. Most of these factors are not exclusive and you can tick most of the boxes with ease. Some of the best non-slip yoga mat in your budget might prove to be both eco-friendly with an appreciably longer life too.
A smart Yoga Mat Buying Guide
Ideally, you should either with Cork Yoga or TPE Mat if you are a beginner.
1. A Cork Mat is eco-friendly. Made of natural rubber and organic cork, such mats do not contain latex, silicon, plastics, PVCs, or toxic glues. This helps them resist the buildup of bacteria, germs, molds, and mildew for the best results. Such mats also offer an anti-tear, anti-skid, and anti-slip experience. You can keep on working on it for longer durations without feeling a thing.
2. If you are more experienced and more sensitive to price range, you can go with TPE Yoga Mat. These double-layered mats are washable and are made of good quality organic jute TPE material. They offer padded comfort for your hands and knees so you do not get hurt while working out for longer durations. Their being lightweight and free of toxins is another plus.
As a beginner or expert, you should know that there is no such thing as the best yoga mat material because everyone has a unique fitness requirement and this factor should be kept in mind before purchasing a yoga mat.
The thickness of mats is important
The standard yoga mat size is 68 inches x 24 inches. It is usually the width in these mats that is of major concern because a standard mat is anyways designed for a 6 feet tall person. With regards to thickness, most beginners go with a mat that is 1/8 inches (or 3 mm) thick and it is usually not good enough to begin with. Usually choosing a yoga mat with 5 to 8 mm of thickness is good enough.
It is often a good idea to go with a yoga mat that is at least 1/4 inch thick. The tradeoff is often between cost and padding because 1/6 inches thick mat is usually less expensive. High-quality yoga mats usually cost more but they do last longer and do not flake up easily, thus adding to a better meditation or workout experience.
Remember, it’s you who would connect to your Higher Self. The Yoga Mat is just a channel to facilitate that change, and nothing else beyond that!
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