Non-Slip Yoga Mat

Yoga is a practice that is increasingly popular in the world and is preferred by more and more people every day. Using a good yoga mat while practicing yoga improves the quality of the movements. The number and variety of yoga mats has increased in parallel with the popularity of the practice. There are many mats available in the market with different properties. The most important of these features is that the mat is non-slip. With the non- slip yoga mat , you won't lose your balance, you can practice safely and you can move freely during asana transitions without the risk of slipping. 

Non-slip Mats 

The surface texture and material type determine the non-slip properties of a mat. There are two factors that cause you to slip while doing yoga. Designers take these two factors into account when imparting anti-slip properties to the mat:

• The mat slides on the floor
• Slipping of hands and feet on the surface of the mat while doing yoga 

Yoga Mat Sliding On The Floor

A model with insufficient thickness and weight cannot hold onto the floor. Therefore, it slides on the floor as you move on it. This problem, which is frequently seen in thin and light mattes with a foamy texture, causes discomfort. A mat with raised ends during yoga poses prevents you from doing the poses properly. 

Slipping of Hands and Feet While Doing Yoga on the Surface of the Mat

Sweating is a natural response of the body and is a physiological state that occurs to provide temperature control. Some people sweat a little more than normal, and sweating may occur in their hands and feet even before they move. In this case, they begin to slide on the yoga mat. People with normal metabolism also experience slipping problems as they sweat after they start to move. 

This situation, which causes balance problems in many movements and pose transitions, can be prevented in different ways. There are different features that make a yoga mat non-slip. 

Features That Make The Yoga Mat Non-Slip

The material of the mat is the most important element that provides anti-slip feature. The surface texture also supports this feature. 

Material and Texture of the Surface 

PU (Polyurethane) Yoga Mats

This material is often used double-layer. The upper layer has a sweat absorbing PU surface, and the lower layer has rubber. These models absorb and trap the liquid, so that there is no wetness on the surface of the product to cause slipping. 

Mats that absorb sweat and trap it have a certain absorption capacity. When these products are full, stains occur on their surfaces. They stop doing their job and their anti-slip properties are lost. Liforme yoga mats and Roru Sun Series mats are examples of this type.

Rubber Yoga Mats

Rubber is a naturally absorbent and sticky material. Models made of rubber have high ground grip and surface grip performance. 

The special GRP series of the Manduka brand, which contains rubber material and charcoal layer, has superior technology that also offers non-slip during Hot Yoga sessions. 

TPE Yoga Mats

Mats made with this material, also called thermoplastic rubber, are naturally absorbent and provide non-slip. Manduka Begin Mat Series has these features.

Polymer Blended Yoga Mats

The surface structure of the polymer-mixed mats provides non-slip properties. The mats produced by the Equilibrium brand with algae polymer have superior gripping ability. 

Microfiber Yoga Mats

These models, which are generally produced by combining with a rubber sole, are naturally permeable and offer non-slip properties by absorbing liquid. 

Patterned Texture

In addition to the material, the textures added to the surface of the products also provide grip. The patterned texture on the mat allows hands and feet to move more evenly on the surface. 

The Search for Non-slip and the Birth of the Yoga Mat

The first documents about yoga, which is not known exactly when and by whom it was practiced for the first time, date back to 5000 years ago. Practices thought to have originated in the north of India were practiced in nature by ancient peoples. Mental and physical practices were practiced on grass, hard earth, or various animal hides. 

The meeting of yoga with the modern world began in the middle of the 19th century. Applications that started to spread in America, which is the source of many currents, were opened to the world in the middle of the 20th century. 

Practices that make the person whole by establishing a balance between mind and body were practiced by many yogis around the world. In the 1950s, many people from America began to travel to India to learn yoga and to spread the teachings to other parts of the world. Later, a similar trend was seen in the Europeans. 

Angela Farmer was one of the yogis who practiced and taught yoga in Europe. Until then, yoga was practiced on simple covers or directly on hardwood floors. This caused slipping and inability to move freely during the transitions between poses. Moreover, there was a risk of injury by slipping and falling. Farmer was determined to find a solution for this. 

While visiting Germany for yoga training, she discovered a product in a store that was put under carpets to prevent it from slipping. He bought a piece of this product and used it in his yoga session. The result was exactly as he wanted, he was able to do all the movements comfortably without slipping. When he returned to England, he showed the piece to his father. His father went to Germany and visited the manufacturing company. This visit led to the birth of the first commercial yoga mat in history. 

Yoga mats, which have been commercially produced since 1982, have undergone many changes until today. It is possible to find many yoga mats with different features in the market today.