A decade or two ago, you do not really have to stress yourself over the type of yoga gear mat that you were going to buy. Back then, there was one kind made of PVC, and you just had to choose a color theme that suits your taste. Of course, you could not decide other important factors of mat like its stickiness, which to its credit were definitely really sticky. Today however, stores all over the world offer so much variety in yoga gear products. Yoga goers now have to find one that suits them best instead of trying to get used to a one-size-fits-all solution. It does mean you have a bit of work to do before you can get started. But, on the plus side, shopping for yoga gear is so much more fun. In this article we are going to help you look at the different kinds of yoga gears particularly the yoga mat.
Yoga Gear Factors
The quality of a yoga gear usually depends on two things and those are the material used and the craftsmanship. Not everyone is comfortable using specific kinds of materials and that is the reason why a variety was introduced. Because yoga has practically become a refuge for people hard at work, more and more people in the working class are taking it up. That is the reason why one of the factors that make yoga gear better is that it is both storable and easy to move around. Some yoga gears come with that fit them as tightly as possible so they do not consume much space.
Your choices of yoga gears will largely depend on your personality. For instance, some yoga mats are meant to be environmentally friendly. And how more personal can you get than making your yoga gear a testament to your advocacy.
Yoga Gear Thickness
Let us start off with the most obvious trait that every yoga gear has and that is the thickness. If you have ever had a yoga session before, then you would know just how important it is and how the experience would differ so much by just a thickness differential of an sixteenth of an inch. The thickness will dictate how comfortable you are while doing your poses. Make no mistake because using the wrong thickness does not only mean that you are going to go through sessions uncomfortably, you can actually get injured. So, make sure that you are choosing the right thickness that suits you best.
There are pros and cons that come with thin and thick yoga gears. Of course, there are always the standard sizes that are a bit a cross between the two. Thin yoga gears would allow you to feel the floor more. And I do not have to tell you that being sensing everything around you is kind of central to the whole yoga mantra. Having a firm grip on the floor lets you balance yourself better which means that you will be able to do some of the poses much easier. But, as mentioned, there is also a downside to it.
If the gear is separating the floor from something other than a joint like the knee, the elbow, or even the head, then it would not be that much of an issue. The problem arises when you the joint hits the floor. This can be quite painful especially if you are supporting a huge portion of your weight. And if there are small dust specs beneath the gear, then it can hurt so much, or worse, can cause injury.
On the other hand, if the gear is thick, you will have a different problem. Imagine having to balance yourself on a short stool. I think you would know that it would not be so difficult because you are closer to the ground there is a little chance for the stool to sway around. Then, instead of a short stool, imagine that you are stepping on a long stool. That should feel a bit more difficult to do. It is the same thing with yoga gears. If the yoga gear is too thick, it would be more difficult to balance on it thereby making it difficult to perform certain poses. However, because it is thick, it means that you have sufficient protection from the hard floor. Just make sure that you do not completely rely on the yoga gear as a cushion and always keep your wits with you especially when doing one of the more difficult poses.
Yoga Gear Texture and Stickiness
Here is where the material of the yoga gear matters. If you have not done yoga yet, then you might not realize the importance of the two factors which are texture and stickiness. If the yoga gear is too smooth, it will become very difficult to get any traction. And you rely on that traction to do certain poses. Of course, you do not want it to be too coarse either because that would mean that you will not be able to easily slide your body across when you are transitioning.
Although the material of the yoga gear largely dictates how it will perform during yoga sessions, there are other considerations that you have to keep in mind. How much you sweat during sessions may seem like an unnecessary detail when choosing yoga gears. However, since the quality of some yoga gear can diminish if it is wet, you have to make sure that you take that into account before buying one.
Yoga gears have to be stretchable. This is a bit of an obvious requirement given that the exercise itself makes you basically perform stretches. Your yoga gear should be able to stretch with you. This way, you would know that it will be able to support your entire body. And, finally, because the yoga gear is stretchy then you would know that it will be able to withstand multiple sessions. This is not true in all yoga gear qualities.