Recently I turned up to teach a class and a student had a particularly sparkly mat.
"Ah, I mainly use it for sitting on while wrapping Christmas pressies," she explained, dusting off bits of glitter. "I thought I might bring it to yoga now!"
Which got me wondering what other yoga mats got up to when not providing a non-slip space to practice on. And if you are considering whether it's worthwhile investing in a mat of your own, take a look and see how versatile they can be!
1 (With thanks to my yoga student) to stop yourself spreading all over the room (and keep your papers, cellophane and sticky stuff contained) while wrapping presents.
2 Taking camping…
3 Spreading out for tots to sit on with a few toys.
4 Roll it up to place as a prop when you need something to lean on, say while
you are watching TV!
5 To help you relax your shoulders and lit your spirits ... Lie on the floor, place
the rolled mat under the centre of your back and breathe for a while.
6 To sit on while you picnic or to lay on in the sun (I know, not much of that around now) so…
7 Use it as padding under a rug for extra warmth in a cold home!!
8 Roll it up and place at the bottom of a door to cut draughts!
9 Use as a catwalk for kids to strut their stuff in dressing up games.
10 YOGA - even if studios have mats the bigger, busier studios particularly, may be sweaty and worn… nice to have your own rather than a damp one ;) And then you can always do some yoga at home!
Another brilliant use for a yoga mat ....
And if you do have an old or unwanted mat lying around, you can donate it to Crisis at Christmas. The charity sets up drop-in centres over the Christmas period offering food, warmth and entertainment for homeless people. They also organise yoga classes for homeless people at the centres — and that’s why they need your old mats! Find out more from http://www.yogaunited.co.uk/blog/general/crisis-christmas-need-old-yoga-mat/
