Alternatives to the sticky yoga mat

Traditional asana practice on rugs

Brightly coloured, tightly rolled sticky yoga mats; we all own at least one and they are usually the default choice for practice.

The modern mat is highly convenient:  light, portable and durable. I certainly reach for mine without any thought every morning. I had a reminder this week that other choices are indeed possible.

Concluding a session at a client's house, I bent to pick up my mat. There was resistance, Sticky mats, how aptly named. The mat was virtually glued to the floorboards, which had been recently varnished. I forcefully peeled it away. Messy.

When I returned the following week, I gingerly patted the floor. Still sticky. Perhaps there was a cotton rug we could use? A folded blanket or sheet? The improvised solution was a pair of single duvets; one each. Doubled over, pristine white, creating a zen like mood.

We had a restorative session, what else to do? The duvets were inviting us to relax deeply and surrender into softness. Utterly blissful.

We began seated, with the challenge of locating the sitbones under a layer of padding. Working on all fours was very easy and gave welcome support to knees, which often suffer with hard flooring. Most of the time was spent supine, maintaining presence and alertness while enjoying the duvet's soft embrace.
 
The sticky yoga mat is a recent western invention which has been successfully exported to India. In traditional environments one is more likely to practice on some kind of natural textile.

At an ayurvedic clinic in Kerala I received instruction upon a folded white sheet. This reflects the focus on breathwork and meditation characteristic of a classical approach to yoga.

Cotton mats are widely available

In Mysore, astanga vinyasa  practitioners typically double up; a modern sticky mat for stability and resistance in the standing sequences and also a traditional woven yoga rug. This absorbs perspiration, prevents skidding and is more comfortable for backbends and the finishing sequence.

For sensuality and authenticity a woven cotton mat is a great practice aid; the bright colours will lift your mood and your spine will appreciate the extra support.

I recall a Scaravelli yoga workshop in Devon with Bill Wood, we used folded woollen blankets to explore standing poses. This was taking mindfulness in asana to a new level; a very different conversation requiring radical honesty and revealing the full extent of ones ambition in the poses.
 
Each surface yields a different experience and different benefits. It is fun to vary one's practice and experiment with alternatives to the sticky mat. Refresh your perspective and enjoy the change of sensation.