How to Buy a Yoga Mat

 I don't teach yoga myself, as a personal trainer I am really not qualified enough to be teaching it. But I have taken numerous yoga classes and can tell you that having your own yoga mat is an important thing if you want to be a serious yoga practitioner.

Why?

Mostly for hygiene. Some of the yoga mats at yoga studios are pretty gruddy looking, and while they do clean them and disinfect them sometimes, they sometimes get old and who knows who's been sweating all over them.

Thus when you are looking to buy your first mat, since you have evidently taken your practice up a notch and want to upgrade to a yoga mat of higher quality, there are many places to shop in Toronto and lots of people out there with tips on what makes a good mat.

eg. If you really want advice you can ask for an expert opinion at a local yoga studio. They will happily give it to you and probably try to push you towards their favourite company. Its a bit like pitting Coca-Cola fans Vs Pepsi fans. They're pretty biased on the topic.

So lets first dispel a myth about yoga mat purchasing...

#1. Don't Buy Just Any Old Mat - Buy the mat which best suits your type of yoga practice, whether it be hatha, vinyasa or Bikram. Why? Well you could just buy a generic mat, but it won't really do you that well. Its a bit like buying "all weather tires" for your car. They are basically mediocre all the time and never excel at anything. So aim to get a mat that is specially designed for your purposes.

#2. Shop Around Online First - Do your research. There are many different kinds of yoga mats available online.

Extra Thick Yoga Mats
High Density Yoga Mats
Extra Long Yoga Mats (for really tall people)
Extra Wide Yoga Mats (for people who hate touching the floor by accident...)
Memory Foam
Toxin Free
Bio-Degradable
Non Slip
Durable
Ultra Absorbent
Pilates
Durafoam
Odor Free
Non-Sticky

#3. Do you want it to come with a strap, a sling or a bag? - Or you can buy such things separately. If you are going to be carrying it a lot (some people carry them on their bicycles) then you want something you can easily carry.

#4. Buy in Person, Don't Buy Online - Two reasons... you want to be able to see and feel the mat for yourself, so you know its the kind you want. So find local places to buy a yoga mat.

Examples in Toronto

Moksha on Danforth or Yonge and St Clair

The Yoga Sanctuary on Danforth

#5. Think Colours - eg. If you're a man you will probably want a blue, red, green or black yoga mat. Most men would not purchase a pink yoga mat.