A Yoga Mat is the foundation tool for your Yoga practice. It is an item that everyone uses to sit, stand and lay upon for the entire session. It is important to consider the size and the material of which it is made in order to accommodate the type of practice for which it is used by older adults.
Many fitness and department stores as well as Yoga Studios sell Yoga mats. The decision to purchase a mat rests upon intuition because neither of the aforementioned merchants tell you the important things to consider when you purchase.
I find the following information from these websites to be helpful when buying a Yoga mat.
https://www.huggermugger.com/blog/2014/how-to-choose-the-best-yoga-mat/
This gives a brief history on the evolution of the Yoga mat. The article discusses benefits to using each of the various types of mats and the material from which it is made. Additionally, it mentions personal preferences which helps one consider a Holistic decision-making approach. Most impressive, Charlotte Bell. Namaste!
https://www.manduka.com/pages/collections-yoga-mats
Maduka’s Mat Quiz calculates physical needs and matches them to the type of mat that is right for you. The quiz considers age, height, gender and type of yoga that you practice. There is a section on the site about how to clean and disinfect each type of mat. Since these things are important to me I am buying a Prolite Yoga Mat for myself to teach Gentle Yoga – Yin Style.
This is a Yoga mat that I use for Warm Flow Yoga. It is heavy and thick enough to support my arthritic back. It gives the support for standing poses with good grip for a Vinyasa practice. Subsequently, it is a good mat for the 50 and older population who have a daily Yoga Practice. The Artletica mat will last a long time and is worth the price!
Remember to make time for self-care by signing up for classes at https://beaulieuyoga.com/classes .
