According to an old Sanskrit saying, if you get your posture right, chances are you'll get your chore done right too. No matter how sincere your intent and dedication in learning and practicing yoga, its your posture which matters. And the best way to ensure a correct posture is to fetch yourself a good yoga mat.
A good cotton yoga mat goes a long way in helping you obtain the maximum results for the amount of efforts put in. This not only makes a mat imperative, it also means you pick out the right kind of mat for you. If it's a cotton yoga mat you are looking out for, make sure it is level and evened out. A mat with a lumpy and inconsistent spread of cotton would not only pinch, but could also increase chances of you being thrown off balance, while you are midway into an asana.
It would also be advisable to thoroughly feel the cotton yoga mat with your palms before purchasing the mat. This is done to see if the cotton used, has developed knots due to longer periods of storage. These knots have a tendency to dig into your skin, when a part of your body presses on it.
Another thing to be kept in mind while picking up a cotton yoga mat is making sure it fits your size right. That is, if you are a generously propositioned buyer, make sure you do not purchase a smaller cotton yoga mat to save some money. Choose a comparatively bigger mat, both in length and in breadth. Yoga is meant to be performed with you at ease. There is no point you performing yoga asanas, when you are struggling to fit into the small mat you've bought to save some dough.
Remember, yoga is a form of exercise. So you will end up roughing both sides of your cotton yoga mat. So when you are thinking of purchasing a cotton yoga mat for yourself, choose one that looks sturdy. A flimsy mat would not go the distance.
While purchasing a cotton yoga mat, consider which branch of yoga you wish to follow. If its astanga you are looking at, then you had best opt for a much thicker cotton yoga mat as compared to the ordinary ones. The thickness would help cushioning your limbs, while performing the more demanding astanga exercises. But if you are switching to asthanga yoga midway through your schedule and you already own a cotton yoga mat with a regular thickness, fret not. Just lay down a thick cotton blanket or towel below the mat to enhance the cushioning.
If you are into traveling, it would be much simpler if you could purchase a bag in which you could carry your cotton yoga mat, preferably a bag with a sling, so that you could slip it over your shoulders. A bulky cotton yoga mat would be tough to lug around otherwise.
Christopher Schwebius is an entrepreneur who seeks out sharply defined, specifically focused topics to research. Upon finishing his research he provides relevant, un-biased information to his readers based on his discoveries and/or personal experiences. One of his latest ongoing projects can be viewed at http://www.cottonyogamat.org
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