Yoga Paws: The Yoga Mat You Wear

With summer comes … VACATION! Woohoo! You’re off to the beach, the mountains, the countryside, a campground, another continent! Of course, you want to keep luggage to a minimum, especially when flying. Even travelling by car, there’s only so much you can take along.  A yoga mat, even a travel mat, isn’t the easiest thing to pack, but what yogi can go for more than a day or two without a downward dog, triangle pose or exalted warrior?

For any yoga enthusiast who travels, Yoga Paws may be the greatest thing to come along since sliced (whole wheat) bread!  This clever yoga accessory works in place of your mat yet is small enough to fit inside your pocket.  Whaaat, you ask?

What are Yoga Paws?

Yoga Paws fit  onto your hands and feet to provide grip and cushioning while practicing yoga poses. The hand unit fits like a bicycle glove with finger separators that help spread the fingers and stabilize your hands within the glove. The foot unit fits like a half sock that covers the ball of the foot to the arch. A Velcro strap fits around the heel to hold your foot firmly inside the sock and its Lycra/Spandex material comfortably adjusts to a variety of sizes.

They’re comfortable with a high level of elasticity, but fit snugly to keep you from slipping. The Paws have a cushioned, super absorbent towel lining that provides cushioned support and absorbs dirt, oils and perspiration (so they work for even the sweatiest yoga practice). There are no internal seams to cause discomfort or irritate your skin.

And to top it off, Yoga Paws are eco-friendly! They’re made from durable, TPE yoga mat material that’s free of chlorides, latex and PVC. They come in a small box with minimal packaging. A handy mesh carrying bag is included that can be used for machine washing your Paws, although hand washing is highly recommended.

How to Use Yoga Paws

Just strap them on and you’re good to go. They’re great indoors or out, so take them with you wherever you go. Your paws will provide a firm grip on hardwood floors, carpets, outdoor decks, sandy beaches, or grassy fields.

Yoga Paws also offer versatility. You can use your Paws along with a traditional mat for added traction if you find yourself slipping during a hot yoga or power yoga practice. The gloves can be used by themselves for other exercises, as well. For example, they can provide a cushioned grip while lifting weights or doing pull ups.

You will need some padding for resting poses and for cushioning your spine, knees or hips, but a towel or blanket should do the trick.

Yoga Paws Care & Maintenance

Cleaning your Yoga Paws regularly is highly recommended (think about all the sweat and oils absorbed in the towel lining … ew!). They’re easily cleaned by turning them inside out and washing them in cold water and gentle soap. Then air dry. Washing after every use with a quick five-minute sudsing will maintain they’re longevity.

Yoga Paws are available for men and women in sizes that will fit most everyone. They are available at Nitty Gritty Fitness for $28.95 or from their home website, Yoga-syz, for $34.95.

For any yoga traveler, Yoga Paws is a must have. Now, no matter where your life takes you, you can take your yoga practice along!

If you’re serious about your yoga or Pilates practice and want to invest in a mat that offers the ultimate in support, stability and performance, then consider the  Manduka Black Mat PRO. Known for its comfort and cushioning, it’s reputed to be the mat chosen first by yoga instructors worldwide.

The Black Mat is thick  (¼”) and really dense – yet it allows you to feel connected to the floor – an important factor in a yoga mat. Some mats offer extra thickness, but they’re soft; and that can make balancing poses difficult.  But the Black Mat Pro’s density provides a firm, supportive foundation for your standing poses, allowing the arch of your foot to stay lifted as your heel and toes stay grounded. Still, there’s more than enough cushioning for your floor poses …  for your hips in Bow pose, your neck in Bridge pose or the tops of your feet in Reclining Hero pose.

The mat has a definite top side and bottom side.  The top isn’t like a standard “sticky” mat, but its non-slip fabric finish keeps your feet firmly rooted during standing poses such as Downward-Facing Dog and Warrior … even at your sweatiest. And the bottom holds it in place on hard, slippery floors, leaving you confident that it won’t move during your aggressive Ashtanga practices.

Because it’s made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), you may think the Black Mat Pro isn’t  environmentally friendly, but Manduka’s plants have been certified by the European Oeko-Tex council as producing zero toxic emissions in their manufacturing process.  And PVC is a high-performance material, so this mat is designed to last a very, very long time. It even comes with a lifetime guarantee which you won’t find with any other mat.  This, to me, makes the Black Mat a very eco-friendly product.

I should mention that, because of the Black Mat PRO’s density, extra length (71″ or 85″) and extra width (26″), it’s no lightweight. The 71” mat weighs in at a full 7 lbs and the 85” is 8.5 lbs, which might make it a bit inconvenient to tote around.  If you like the idea of the Black Mat Pro, but want something more portable, the Manduka ProLite, might be a better choice. Not quite as dense or as wide as it’s big brother, the ProLite is 3/16” thick and 24” wide,  (but has the 71″ length) and only weighs 4 lbs. It’s made of the same high-performing, slip resistant fabric-like surface and comes with the same lifetime guarantee. And unlike the Black Mat Pro (which comes only in black), the ProLite gives you 5 color choices.

The name “Manduka” was inspired by the Hatha Yoga Pradipika pose, Mandukasana, or Frog Pose. Manduka has provided top quality yoga products to yoga teachers and students for over ten years. From its beginning, the company has had a reputation for celebrating the bond yoga shares with the natural world. The idea of respect for all living things is key to the company’s philosophy.

Your yoga mat can make a world of difference in your yoga practice. It won’t make you more flexible or stronger or increase your balance, but it will offer the support that you need to find and unleash your inner warrior!

• Available in 2 lengths: 71” ($85.00) and 85” ($96.00)
• Made of Polyester and eco-certified PVC
• Color: Black
• Width: 26”
• Thickness: ¼”
• Weight: 7 lbs or 8.5 lbs.
• 30-day return warranty
• Lifetime guarantee

There are over 15 million people practicing yoga in the U.S. and that means that there are lots of used yoga mats out there.  You probably have one or two old mats rolled up and out of sight in your closet … attic … basement … under the bed … that you no longer use but don’t know what to do with and can’t let end up in a landfill!

Surprisingly, there are a lot of practical, sustainable & eco-friendly ways to reuse old yoga and fitness mats!  Here are a few ideas that some of us at Nitty Gritty Fitness have come up with, plus a few I’ve found during my web travels.  Hope you can use some of them ….

With a good pair of  scissors, you can cut up a mat and,

1. Put a piece under your dog’s dish to keep it from sliding
2. Place a piece in front of the kitty litter box … the stickiness will catch the litter and keep her from tracking it across the floor
3. Use as coasters to protect your furniture from drips
4. Line your shelves or drawers
5. Use as treads for slippery, wooden stairs.  The natural stickiness will hold them in place
6. Use as a knee pad while gardening
7. Place inside a pet carrier to provide cushioning and comfort during those scary trips to the vet
8. Save energy by plugging up drafts coming through windows and doors
9. Make beautiful trivets by gluing them to the bottoms of decorative, ceramic  tiles
10. Use as “bases” when playing baseball with the kids
11. Use as grip pads to open jars
12. Place under furniture legs to prevent slipping and scratching hardwood floors
13. Place under throw rugs to keep them from sliding

Here’s a few ideas that don’t require any cutting …

1. Keep one in the car.  If you get stuck in the snow, unroll it behind your tires to give you some traction
2. When travelling, use as a changing pad for the baby … it easily washes off
3. Use in place of a blanket when sitting on the ground during a concert or your kid’s ball game
4. When camping, place one under your sleeping bag for extra cushioning
5. Place one across the back seat of your car when traveling with your dog … it’ll protect the leather from scratch marks and help keep your precious pup from sliding off the seat if you stop suddenly

Or, pay it forward by donating your mat …

1. To a homeless shelter … they can use them as sleeping pads
2. To an animal shelter … they’re always in need of pads, blankets, rugs & towels to line the animal crates
3. To a nursing home for people to have next to their beds so they don’t slip while getting in and out of bed

Or, donate your mat to a recycling program.   Jade Yoga has recently introduced their 3 Rs program – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Through this program, Jade hopes to reuse yoga mats by making them available to those who otherwise might not be able to afford them, reduce the number of yoga mats going to landfills and recycle any mats that cannot be reused.  The primary goal of their recycling program is to maximize local reuse of the mats by offering them to yoga teachers who volunteer to teach in shelters, schools, prisons and rehabilitation centers. For instructions on how to donate and to find a donation center near you, check out their website:

“Recycle Your Yoga Mat” partners with companies that have created jobs and businesses based on waste reuse and upcycling.   In 2008, 50 percent of the mats collected were upcycled into other products and more than 30 percent were donated to local community programs.  Check their website for a drop off location near you or for instructions on mailing your mat to them.  Recycle Your Mat offers a 20% discount coupon on any Manduka purchase when you donate your used mat to them, which Nitty Gritty Fitness will happily honor if you purchase your mat from us.

Please remember to thoroughly clean your yoga mat before donating it to any organization.  Yoga Journal recommends using a spray bottle, damp sponge or terry cloth rag to apply a solution of two cups of water and four drops of dish soap.  Rub the soiled areas and wipe the mat down with clean water, then rub with a dry terry cloth towel and hang to dry.  If your mat is heavily soiled, soak it in warm water and mild detergent and then rinse it with clean water.  Lay the mat on a dry towel and roll the mat and towel together. Stepping on the rolled up mat will squeeze more moisture into the towel. Unroll and hang the mat to dry.  Use very little soap, because any residue will remove its “stickiness”.

Do you have any other ideas for using old yoga mats?  Do you know of any other recycling programs?  If so, please share!