Are yoga mats really necessary in order to be able to make the most out of your yoga practice? Are you really supposed to carry a chunky yoga mat with you, even when travelling abroad, or can you enjoy a few yoga poses without needing one?
Well, it depends; whereas slippery ground or floors can lead to accidents and injuries, most types of flooring should be safe to practice on without using a yoga mat.By the way, mat, or no mat, if you’re looking for a way to get consistent with your yoga practice, you should check out our free 30-day Yoga Challenge by clicking here.
In order to be super-safe and a bit more comfortable, though, we suggest you at least use a yoga mat alternative, which will secure your feet and palms’ grip, and may even be used as a cushion, to keep your joints from pressing onto hard surfaces while you work out.
Rolled-Up Towel
Rolled-up towels are generally a good workout tool, and a great substitute for a yoga mat, especially when you find yourself in need of cushioning against a hard floor.
A high-quality, sustainable towel such as the following would be ideal for this particular use:
This lightweight 100% linen towel was created by award-winning Danish textile designer Karin Carlander. It is very durable, practical, super-absorbent, visually pleasing with its two contrasting colors theme, and highly breathable.
This colorful collection of soft, medium-weight 100% organic cotton towels is perfect for yogis to use as a traditional yoga mat alternative. These Fairtrade towels dry fast and are reversible, and their vibrant colors are achieved using natural, organic dyes.
Another collection of super-soft, medium-weight, 100% organic and Fairtade bath towels, which was made in accordance to the strictest social and environmental standards.
Folded Woven Blanket
- Organic Handwoven Hemp Yoga Mat – $49.00
A beautiful rustic, woven blanket-styled hemp yoga mat, which comes in a wide variety of gorgeous colors. The fabric is handwoven, and it’s pretty thick, which makes it ideal for yoga practice.
- BURN – Yoga Blanket – $ 145.00
This soft cotton yoga blanket is handwoven traditionally by skilled artisans using foot looms. It features an eye-catching finish along with a hand-knotted fringe, and it’s perfect for meditation, as well as for yoga practice.
- Cascade Blanket – $ 78.00
This 100% organic cotton blanket is made using exceptionally fine yarns, and it’s very soft and supple, with a stitched textured. It comes in a wide variety of colors, and it’s finished with a simple bound edge.
Large Piece of Fabric
Handspun and handwoven fabric makes for the perfect yoga mat alternative, and these slubs are crafted in a special way that allows for varying thicknesses along the weave. This textured kind of fabric might even provide better grip, allowing you to practice various yoga poses without slipping.
- U.S. Organic Jersey | Which Way – $ 25.95
A stretchy, lightweight organic jersey knit, featuring a cute lime green-on-white design, which is hand-drawn by designer Josi Severson. The organic cotton used in this particular textile is grown, knit and printed in the USA, using water-based dyes.
This pesticide, herbicide and GMO-free organic cotton fabric has not been bleached or whitened, so it’s super-soft and plush. It does have a stretch, though, so it might not be ideal for your more balance-dependent yoga poses.