The best no-slip yoga mat retains the physique grounded and aligned whereas offering much-needed cushioning for joints and muscle tissue. Nonetheless, most mats are comprised of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or coated with protecting seals to maintain them from sticking collectively throughout manufacturing and provides them long-term sturdiness, each of which might make the floor slippery throughout the first few makes use of. Others are designed with a closed-cell floor—nice for holding moisture and particles out, however tougher for traction throughout a sweaty class.
Add in heated apply rooms and residual physique oils and lotions, and even the very best high quality mat can initially really feel slick and unstable.
Many yogis swear by a brand new viral pattern—salt-scrubbing—to provide their mats added grip and stickiness.
“Salt is a good way to interrupt that preliminary barrier of the ‘new mat feeling,’ and I like to recommend doing it at the very least twice throughout the first month of practising in your new mat,” says Atlanta-based yoga teacher Freya Locklair, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP.
“I like to recommend doing it at the very least twice throughout the first month of practising in your new mat.”—Freya Locklair, RYT 500
Christian Regester, SVP of product at yoga attire and tools model Manduka, says the model recommends the salt scrub technique to interrupt in its PVC-based PRO and different mats. This is easy methods to salt scrub a yoga mat:
- Sprinkle coarse sea salt on prime of mat
- Depart it to set for twenty-four hours
- Scrub in salt utilizing a washcloth with a small quantity of water
- Wipe the mat clear and dangle it to dry
How does salt-scrubbing a yoga mat work?
“Salt and sweat break down the highest layer of the mat, so the fabric turns into extra porous and higher in a position to take up sweat and create traction,” says Locklair. “Over time, you will notice the distinction within the areas of your mat the place you place your palms and ft, as a result of they’ll have extra of a matte look as a result of the highest layer has worn down.”
She recommends rushing up the breaking-in course of by showering earlier than class to take away residual physique and hair merchandise and utilizing yoga mat sprays and different cleansers sparingly on new mats.
“Cleansing removes the sweat that’s helpful in giving your mat that ‘grippy’ feeling, which results in a safer and extra secure asana apply,” she explains. “Additionally, some cleaners go away behind a residue that may make mats sticky and unstable.”
As an alternative, she recommends wiping off extra moisture after apply and hanging your mat to air dry indoors, giving time for sweat and salt time to totally take up and add tackiness to the floor.
Some mat supplies are slippier or require extra salting than others, so she suggests purchasing round for the suitable mat on your specific yoga apply. Locklair prefers an open-cell fashion mat (just like the B Yoga On a regular basis Mat or Iuga Professional Mat) for warm yoga lessons as a result of they want “little or no breaking in and supply extra traction.” However these kinds of mats do lure particles and moisture, so that they must be cleaned and changed extra steadily than closed-cell mats (like Manduka’s Professional and eKO mats.) The latter are also nice for slower-paced mild and restorative lessons, if you’re much less prone to sweat.
And in the event you do end up sliding round on a brand new mat, each Locklair and Regester each advocate utilizing a efficiency yoga towel to soak up extra moisture and add traction for sweaty palms and ft.
“Nonetheless, a towel does stop your sweat from seeping into the mat and prevents the pure breakdown of the highest layer,” says Locklair. A very good compromise? Beginning class with out a mat towel, after which placing one down when the floor turns into slippery.
Finally, similar to nailing that elusive pose or respiratory by a troublesome asana, breaking in your new mat requires time, endurance, and apply.
