On the mat
The mat is something most yogis even the beginning yogi has an opinion on. When I first started the thin purple mats available to rent at my local yoga studio didn’t do it for me. Sitting on them was like a battle between my sit bones (Ischial Tuberosity for the anatomically inclined) and the hardwood floors, the hardwood floors being the victor. I opted for a plush pink mat one that I could happily move into crescent moon on and not have to do the ill-timed mat fold, or risk unhappy knees. But as my practice progressed, my body opened to find a comfortable fleshy part of the knee and I learned to balance myself so minimal weight was placed on it. I found myself returning to the thin mats (not always purple), for the connection it offered to the earth / floor. I was well onto my way to stage two of my mat progression, expression. I bought a pretty koi mat that matched my water bottle was content that my accessories matched my practice and my personality. More then I could say for just about everything else I owned.
But as my awareness progressed I became painfully aware that my mat may not be the most eco-friendly in town. I read that it was 100% natural, but sources were dubious about how eco-friendly or biodegradable it was. Moreover, my friend Desmond wondered out-loud how biodegradable ANY yoga mat was and she’s a botanist / biologist making me feel worse. So I elected that once the koi mat wore out, I’d find an eco-friendly one. But my budget and shoulders sagged at the weight of the eco-friendly mats. I continued to ignore the skid marks on my koi, and made do. Enter the Eternetfit mat. I discovered it during the Global Mala Project, the founder was selling them on the side for a fraction of their retail price. And it seemed like the answer to my inner most mat wishes.
It’s light weight, eco-friendly, and features a thickened middle that you can use to cushion your knee on those low lizards, crescent moons, or just as an extra sit-bone-lift during meditation. Beautiful! It wasn’t the easiest mat to roll up, and the material has “memory” so you have to be careful how you fold it, or if you leave objects on it. But these seemed like small inconveniences compared to the benefits. I tried out the new mat at home and it lived up to its promise. Excitedly I took the mat to class, where my neighbors ooed at it. The excited chatter faded however as the class sequences sped up, I began to have second thoughts about my mat. The thickened middle is actually more like a big bump, and like anything bumpy it gets in your way. I found myself with one foot on the bump and the other not, leaving me in sloped warrior one. The bump forces you to be aware of your foot, and you have to take extra large steps to account for it.
During the seated sequence in class I found it to be less distracting, the extra lift was good for paschimottanasana (seated forward bend), but got in the way for pigeon, where you can’t adjust the bump to only be under one hip — you have to half sit off the mat.
Overall, I’m fairly happy with the mat. I tend to use it more for home practice rather then class — it’s difficult to transport since doesn’t fit into the standard yoga bags which aren’t designed for such thickness, and I find that the bump is too distracting in class especially when you’re only able to keep up with half of the sequences. But I do recommend it especially for yogis with knee issues, or need the extra cushioning. Extra large lunges, or the occasional off-the-mat pigeon is well worth the inconvenience for the safety and comfort of your knees.
