An eco friendly yoga mat is specifically designed to support a yoga practitioner's body as he or she goes about the pulls and stretches that make up yoga. This means that yoga mats go through as much physical strain as the practitioner who uses it on a regular basis.
The main difference, though, is that the body heals and repairs itself over time, while a yoga mat deteriorates over time. This makes proper yoga mat maintenance essential if you want to keep on using your mat for a few decades to come.
So without further ado, here are three simple tips to properly take care of your eco friendly yoga mat:
Proper Use
The first thing to keep in mind when it comes to preserving a yoga mat is to use it properly.
A yoga mat is meant to support the human body during stationary activity like yoga. It is not meant as a foot rug, face towel, pillow or object for venting one's frustration. Therefore it is to be placed flat and evenly on the floor; cushioning and supporting a yoga practitioner's body and bones from the pressure of sitting on a hard floor.
And speaking of proper use, friction is to be avoided as much as possible when using a yoga mat. Although the movement of the body will inevitably grind away the top layers of the mat, unnecessary friction on the mat's surface and bottom will speed this process up. So keep that mat as friction-free as possible, and it will last for quite some time in your care.
Proper Cleaning
Dirt and oil serve not only to make a yoga mat look dirty and unkempt. They can also have a weakening effect on the material of the yoga in the long run.
The dirt and oil referred here comes from both the human body and the environment where the mat is placed. Not only will they make a mat look and smell bad, but they will also get into the tight spots of the mat - which will eventually speed up the deterioration process as it goes through the wear and tear of constant use.
Yoga mats must not be hand washed or machine washed too frequently if they're made from synthetic materials. And if an eco friendly yoga mat is made of natural materials, they should be kept as clean as possible in order to reduce the need for washing.
Proper Storage
Yoga mattresses may be made tough enough to withstand some wear and tear, but the elements care little for physical strength when it comes to deterioration.
Water, heat, molds and moths can easily damage a yoga mat as time passes. This makes proper storage essential for an eco friendly yoga mat for it to last more than one year. An unexposed area away from moisture and sunlight mixed with plenty of flowing air is the perfect place to store a yoga mat. These places will shield the mat from heat and moisture, while molds and moths will not be able to set up shop in such environments.
Robert W. (Bob) Walker reports on a number of natural health and wellness issues and believes the ecological way is the only way. Please visit his blog ecofriendlyyogamatblog.com
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