This entry was posted on Aug 13, 2025 by Charlotte Bell.
One in all yoga observe’s nice presents is its emphasis on balancing. Poses akin to Vrksasana (Tree Pose) are an integral a part of virtually each type of observe. The flexibility to stability is a vital a part of wholesome growing older, and it may be useful to develop balancing abilities as early as attainable. Typical knowledge has it {that a} thinner Yoga Mat (⅛ inch or much less, or 1.5mm to three.5mm) is most conducive to staying on our toes throughout one-legged balancing poses. The thinner the mat, the much less your standing foot goes to wish to make changes. However is that optimum? After virtually 40 years of yoga instructing, my unequivocal reply is: it relies upon. So what’s the greatest yoga mat for balancing?
The Finest Yoga Mat for Balancing Depends upon Your Intention
Counterintuitive as it might sound, the mat I often use for instructing yoga—even in lessons the place we observe numerous standing balancing poses—is the Final Cushion Yoga Mat. At ⅜ inch, it’s the thickest mat Hugger Mugger affords. (I alternate between this mat and the Para Rubber Yoga Mat (3/16″)).
Why would I need to make it tougher on myself? I observe balancing poses to domesticate and preserve my balancing abilities. Positive, I can extra simply carry out balancing poses on a thinner mat, however I need to problem my stability. That’s the way in which we construct balancing abilities—by balancing in difficult conditions. So, to perform my goal in practising balancing poses, one of the best yoga mats for balancing are the thicker, tougher ones.
As a result of I’ve a longstanding relationship with Hugger Mugger Yoga Merchandise, I’ve purchased many mats from them over time. I discover that balancing on several types of surfaces—and mats of various thicknesses—is necessary for constructing balancing abilities. So generally I observe on thick mats, and generally I observe on skinny mats. I additionally place my mats on numerous surfaces. Whereas wooden and surfaces akin to concrete are essentially the most dependable, I believe it’s useful to observe balancing on comfortable, squishy surfaces, akin to carpeting, as properly.
It’s necessary to respect the place you might be. In case your stability is mostly unstable, practising on a thinner Yoga Mat is an efficient place to start out. As soon as you are feeling secure in balancing poses on a skinny mat, then you may start difficult your stability on a thicker mat.
Balancing On and Off the Yoga Mat
Working towards yoga on numerous mat sorts and ground sorts isn’t the one solution to hone your stability. Listed here are some solutions for taking your balancing observe off the mat:
- Apply balancing in several types of footwear—thick soles, comfortable soles, skinny soles, and so on. Until you commonly put on heels, I wouldn’t advocate practising yoga in them. (For that matter I might advocate avoiding or minimizing carrying heels typically, due to the havoc they wreak on the integrity of your musculoskeletal system.)
- Apply outdoor. Climbing trails are hardly ever utterly stage. Strolling, and practising balancing poses, on uneven surfaces problem your toes to stability another way. Subsequent time you are taking a hike, cease for a minute or so and observe a one-legged balancing pose—Tree Pose appears acceptable while you’re within the woods—on an uneven floor.
In case you’d prefer to study extra in regards to the components of creating secure stability, right here’s a current weblog.
About Charlotte Bell
Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Apply and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third e book is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and folks sextet Pink Rock Rondo, whose DVD gained two Emmy awards.
