mats

[Guest guest]

The longlife blue mats that bheka yoga sells are my favorite. They give good

traction, soak up sweat and can be put in the dryer.

[Guest guest]

To get an idea of what a Black Diamond is, see

<a href=http://www.jivamuktiyoga.com/boutique/

target=new>http://www.jivamuktiyoga.com/boutique/</a> (select the "SubCategory"

"Props", then click on

it). It's an extra thick, black mat (6.2 mm), usually

longer than the standard "sticky" one. It doesn't absorb

much sweat, so that at one point in your astanga

practice you will have to cover it with a Mysore rug. I

use that kind of mat myself. It doesn't shred & wear

off as easily as the standard (thin) mats, so it

lasts much longer. Since it's quite heavy, it doesn't

"bump" when you jump back & through in vinyasa. The

extra cushion it provides may be helpful to those who

have problems with their joints, but it's ideal too

when you do headstand. In my opinion, the Black

Diamond is the ideal mat for astanga yoga.

[Guest guest]

Ooops, I forgot to say that you can find the SubCategory "Props" at

jivamuktiyoga.com/boutique/ in the "Accessories" section. Sorry & good luck!

[Guest guest]

<< There is a heavy-duty mat that many

people like, known as "the black mat". It is expensive

($65). >><br><br>Believe it or not, here in

Germany you can get the same black mat for less than $35.

I use one I once bought at the Iyengar-Yoga Studio

in Munich myself, and it's great. I know the black

mat is VERY expensive in the US, and I always

wondered why. Maybe because - as it seems - you Americans

have to import it from Germany? It's strange a lot of

the mats sold in America are in fact German: check

this article by Cara Jepsen about "the perfect mat"

for Astanga practice,

<a href=http://www.yogachicago.com/may00/theperfectmat.shtml

target=new>http://www.yogachicago.com/may00/theperfectmat.shtml</a> .