Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post.
I received a sample of the product for review purposes.
When I was in college years ago I had the most amazing yoga teacher. I have yet to find another teacher like her, though a friend of mine has become a yoga instructor and has styled her class to resemble that one amazing teacher we had years ago. The information and the flow of class made it ideal for me with the focus on form and having it more of a workout than a relaxation method.
I do appreciate moments of quiet and relaxation when I do yoga, but when I’m in a class, I don’t care as much for the dimmed lights, candles, and soothing voice. I may be one of the few who aren’t looking for this in a yoga class, and that may be why I have trouble finding a good instructor. So, I’m stuck doing yoga at home, which I’m okay with.
Building my home workout space has been a challenge. We don’t have a lot of ideal yoga space and then I also have kids and pets. I love teaching my kids yoga, but when I’m looking to do a workout for me, I don’t want the interruptions. Now that we’ve redone the office, I have that space and I’m excited! I now have a space, I just need to upgrade my equipment.
One of the most important things I want for yoga practice is a good yoga mat. This has been a struggle for me because I always find I slide. Especially during downward facing dog. Anyone else fall flat on their face because of slipped hands or feet? Or both? Not my most glamorous moments working out. It’s something I want to change though. I would love to increase my time in that pose, but with a slippery mat it makes it hard. Luckily Youphoria asked me to review their yoga mats and I happily agreed.
When the yoga mat arrived it was completely wrapped in plastic. I loved this because it meant I didn’t have to worry about the mat getting dirty or damaged as easily before I opened it. What I didn’t expect is that the label inside the plastic would be wrapped tightly down to the mat with a plastic strip and tape. Sadly my crazy strong fingernails slightly damaged the mat when I was trying to pull it up a bit to cut it with scissors. I haven’t had any other issues with damaging the mat, but this does make me a bit more conscious about how easy it can be if I’m not careful.
The Youphoria yoga mat is equipped with a different texture on each side. One to grip the floor and the other as a non-slip surface for your hands and feet. They make it easy to tell the difference with the circle side going onto the floor and the square grid side will be up. For the most part the non-slip side for my feet and hands worked fairly well. I did have a bit of slide initially, but then my feet and hands both gripped better, either because of the surface or the memory foam, or maybe a mix of both. I have carpet in my house so I couldn’t test out the side that was on the floor to see if it held up to the non-slip claim on that side.
I mentioned the memory foam, which I really liked on the mat. According to Youphoria, the purpose of the memory foam is to help stabilize hands and feet. It is also stated to help relieve joints without losing balance. I can say that I did feel more stable with this mat, and my balance was good. Although I wouldn’t say it was better with this mat than others. As for joint relief, it’s hard to say because I already modify many poses due to some joint pain and I can’t tell if the mat is providing additional relief.
One last thing to mention is the storage/transport strap that is provided with the mat. I love how easy it is to put the rings around the mat to keep it rolled up when not in use, and how that strap creates a handle for carrying the mat. What I don’t like about the strap is how loose it is. For storage purposes the strap is great, but if I’m looking to carry the mat to another location and I sling it over my shoulder I think the rings are a bit too loose around the mat and it can slide out too easy. For me, this is okay because I currently only do yoga at home, but if I decided I wanted to go to a class somewhere, I would feel awkward carrying the mat because I’d be too conscious of it slipping out.
Overall this is a great yoga mat. I felt it kept me from sliding and Youphoria even provided care instructions for both during and in between workouts that can help keep the mat working properly. The few minor issues I had with the mat would not be enough to keep me from purchasing this mat, although they could be the breaking point if I found another, similar mat that offered the same benefits plus fewer of the issues I had with this mat.
Check out Amazon if you’re interested in purchasing a Youphoria yoga mat.
I shared some of the things I look for in a yoga mat. What are some of the pros and cons you look for when choosing a yoga mat? Share them in the comments.
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