One among yoga observe’s nice items is its emphasis on balancing. Poses similar to Vrksasana (Tree Pose) are an integral a part of nearly each type of observe. The flexibility to steadiness is a vital a part of wholesome ageing, and it may be useful to develop balancing expertise as early as attainable. Standard knowledge has it {that a} thinner Yoga Mat (⅛ inch or much less, or 1.5mm to three.5mm) is most conducive to staying on our ft throughout one-legged balancing poses. The thinner the mat, the much less your standing foot goes to want to make changes. However is that optimum? After nearly 40 years of yoga educating, my unequivocal reply is: it relies upon. So what’s the finest yoga mat for balancing?

The Greatest Yoga Mat for Balancing Is determined by Your Intention

Counterintuitive as it could sound, the mat I often use for educating yoga—even in courses the place we observe a lot of standing balancing poses—is the Final Cushion Yoga Mat. At ⅜ inch, it’s the thickest mat Hugger Mugger presents. (I alternate between this mat and the Para Rubber Yoga Mat (3/16″)).

Why would I wish to make it tougher on myself? I observe balancing poses to domesticate and keep my balancing expertise. Positive, I can extra simply carry out balancing poses on a thinner mat, however I wish to problem my steadiness. That’s the way in which we construct balancing expertise—by balancing in difficult conditions. So, to perform my goal in working towards balancing poses, one of the best yoga mats for balancing are the thicker, more difficult ones.

As a result of I’ve a longstanding relationship with Hugger Mugger Yoga Merchandise, I’ve purchased many mats from them over time. I discover that balancing on several types of surfaces—and mats of various thicknesses—is essential for constructing balancing expertise. So generally I observe on thick mats, and generally I observe on skinny mats. I additionally place my mats on varied surfaces. Whereas wooden and surfaces similar to concrete are essentially the most dependable, I feel it’s useful to observe balancing on comfortable, squishy surfaces, similar to carpeting, as properly.

It’s essential to respect the place you might be. In case your steadiness is mostly unstable, working towards on a thinner Yoga Mat is an effective place to start out. As soon as you are feeling secure in balancing poses on a skinny mat, then you’ll be able to start difficult your steadiness on a thicker mat.

Balancing On and Off the Yoga Mat

Working towards yoga on varied mat sorts and flooring sorts isn’t the one solution to hone your steadiness. Listed below are some strategies for taking your balancing observe off the mat:

• Apply balancing in several types of sneakers—thick soles, comfortable soles, skinny soles, and so forth. Until you repeatedly put on heels, I wouldn’t suggest working towards yoga in them. (For that matter I’d suggest avoiding or minimizing carrying heels typically, due to the havoc they wreak on the integrity of your musculoskeletal system.)
• Apply outdoor. Climbing trails are hardly ever utterly stage. Strolling, and working towards balancing poses, on uneven surfaces problem your ft to steadiness another way. Subsequent time you’re taking a hike, cease for a minute or so and observe a one-legged balancing pose—Tree Pose appears acceptable whenever you’re within the woods—on an uneven floor.

Should you’d prefer to study extra concerning the components of growing secure steadiness, right here’s a current weblog.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started educating in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Apply and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third ebook is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and people sextet Pink Rock Rondo, whose DVD gained two Emmy awards.