How To Make Your Yoga Mat Less Slippery
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Having trouble slipping and maybe even falling during your time on the mat?
It can be frustrating when you first buy a new mat to find yourself sliding all around in downward- facing dog.
Try these tips below to help take away the slipperiness of your mat. Note that if it’s not your mat, but your sweaty palms or feet causing you to slip, some solutions below may work better than others.
Chose a Side and Practice
Like new shoes, using your mat daily for 1-2 weeks can help break in the material for a less slippery practice.
As Manduka put it, “Don’t wear it out, wear it in.”
Chose one side of the mat and mark it if needed to note which side you are breaking in for your practice.
Layering
Before practice, spray your mat with some water and then layer with a thin cotton yoga mat/towel to assist your sweaty palms and feet.
Microfiber Traction
Thinner than regular towels, placing a quick-drying microfiber towel on your mat not only increases the comfort of your practice, but these towels are perfect to admit any loss of traction while on your mat.
Remove Chemical Finishes
Not recommended for all types of mat materials, apple cider vinegar can be used to remove that chemical finish from your mat material. This finish sometimes is the main cause for concern when slipping.
Use caution with this method, as you are taking an acid to your mat, and make sure to wash first with an organic liquid soap. You can even try diluting the vinegar with water before using a sponge or cloth to rub it on one side of your mat.
Try a Different Mat
Sometimes, we don’t always choose the correct material for our particular style of practice. A yoga mat made of natural rubber will hold traction a lot better than a regular PVC or TPE yoga mat. It all depends on what works best for you.
Wash It
One of the most notable methods to eliminate a sleek mat is to wash it! If made of PVC material, accelerate the aging process by placing it in the washer for a cycle. Do not run on spin cycle and allow all mats to air dry.
Other mat materials can be washed with an organic surface cleaner to eliminate anything on the surface that may be making it hard to grip.
Try Sea Salt
An interesting method used for Manduka mats is to use sea salt. Once the entire surface of your mat is rubbed down with salt, let it sit for 24 hours before rinsing off the salt with water and a sponge.
If unsure about any of the methods above, better safe than sorry, contact your mat manufacturer to gain some reassurance as to whether or not you should apply that method to your specific type of mat.