Yoga is a practice that is increasingly popular around the world and preferred by more people every day. Using a good yoga mat while practicing yoga improves the quality of movements. The number and variety of yoga mats has increased in parallel with the popularity of the practice. There are many mats available on the market with different features. The most important of these features is that the mat is non-slip.Non-slip yoga matWith it, your balance will not be disturbed, you can practice safely and move comfortably without the risk of slipping during asana transitions.
Non-Slip Mats
Surface texture and material type determine the non-slip properties of a mat. There are two factors that cause you to slip while doing yoga. Designers take these two factors into consideration when giving the mat a non-slip feature:
Mat slipping on the floor
Hands and feet slipping on the surface of the mat while doing yoga
Yoga Mat Slips on the Floor
A model that is not thick and heavy enough cannot hold on to the ground. Therefore, it slides on the ground as you move on it. This problem, which is frequently seen in thin and light mats with a foamy texture, causes discomfort. A mat with raised ends during yoga poses will prevent you from doing the poses properly.
Hands and Feet Slip While Doing Yoga on the Surface of the Mat
Sweating is a natural response of the body and is a physiological condition that occurs to control temperature. Some people sweat a little more than usual, and sweating may occur in their hands and feet even before they move. In this case, they start to slide on the yoga mat. People with normal metabolism also experience slipping problems as they sweat after they start moving.
This situation, which causes balance problems in many movements and pose transitions, can be prevented in different ways. There are different features that make a yoga mat non-slip.
Features That Make the Yoga Mat Slip-Resistant
The material of the mat is the most important element that provides non-slip properties. Surface texture also supports this feature.
Material and Texture of the Surface
PU (Polyurethane) Yoga Mats
This material is usually used in double layers. There is a sweat-absorbing PU surface on the upper layer, and rubber on the lower layer. These models absorb and trap the liquid, so there is no wetness on the surface of the product that could cause slipping.
Mats that absorb and trap sweat have a certain absorption capacity. When these products reach their capacity, stains occur on their surfaces. They stop doing their job and their anti-slip properties are lost. Liforme yoga mats and Roru Sun Series mats are examples of this type.
Rubber Yoga Mats
Rubber is a naturally absorbent and sticky material. Models made of rubber have high ground grip and grip performance on the surface.
Manduka brand's special GRP series, which contains rubber material and charcoal layers, has superior technology that provides non-slip resistance during Hot Yoga sessions.
TPE Yoga Mats
Mats made with this material, also called thermoplastic rubber, are naturally absorbent and provide non-slip properties. Manduka Begin Mat Series have these features.
Polymer Blend Yoga Mats
The surface structure of polymer blended mats offers non-slip properties. The mats produced by the Equilibrium brand with algae polymer have superior grip ability.
Microfiber Yoga Mats
These models, which are generally produced by combining them with a rubber sole, are naturally permeable and offer non-slip properties by absorbing liquid.
Patterned Texture
In addition to the material, the textures added to the surface of the products also provide grip. The patterned texture on the mat allows hands and feet to move more balanced on the surface.
The Quest for Non-Slip Resistance and the Birth of the Yoga Mat
The first documents about yoga, which is not exactly known when and by whom it was first practiced, date back 5000 years. Practices thought to have emerged in the north of India were practiced in nature by ancient people. Mental and physical practices were done on grass, hard earth or on various animal skins.
Yoga, which has not left its homeland for many years, began to meet the modern world in the mid-19th century. Practices that began to spread in America, the origin of many movements, were made available to the world in the mid-20th century.
Practices that enable the person to become whole by establishing balance between the mind and body were practiced by many yogis around the world. In the 1950s, many people from America began to go to India and learn yoga and spread the teachings in other parts of the world. Later, a similar trend was seen in Europeans.
Angela Farmer was one of the yogis who practiced and taught yoga in Europe. Until then, yoga was done on simple mats or directly on parquet floors. This caused slipping and inability to move easily during transitions between poses. Moreover, there was a risk of slipping and falling and getting injured. Farmer was determined to find a solution for this.
When she visited Germany for yoga training, she discovered a product in a store that could be placed under carpets to prevent them from slipping. She bought a piece of this product and used it in her yoga session. The result was exactly what he wanted, he was able to do all the movements comfortably without slipping. When he returned to England he showed the piece to his father. His father went to Germany and visited the manufacturer. This visit led to the birth of the first commercial yoga mat in history.
Yoga mats, which have been produced commercially since 1982, have undergone many changes until today. There are many products with different features on the market today.yoga matIt is possible to find.
