Whether your yoga mat isn’t perfectly suited to your practice, your weight isn’t evenly distributed in your poses, or, well, a million other reasons, slipping on your yoga mat is THE WORST. We totally get it.
And because there’s no one universal solution that suits everyone, we talked to three ladies from our customer care department about their personal slip stories (and how they emerged triumphant). Practice On.
ALYSSA
Perfect Set-Up: Black Mat PRO and yogitoes towel (for sweatier classes)
My relationship with my Black Mat PRO was definitely love/hate at first. Right out of the packaging, it felt like a slip and slide! After about a month of daily practice, the top surface texture began feeling different in the hot spots where hands/feet go in down dog.
I’ve done a deep clean once or twice by unrolling my mat and placing it on a large beach towel. I put a generous amount of coarse sea salt on the top (side with the logo on it) and let it sit for 24 hours. Then, I wipe it down in circular motions top to bottom with a damp cloth. I’ve found this method really helps get extra muck off of my mat that’s making me slip.
As the years continue, my mat gets better and better. I feel like I am on a magic carpet every time I roll it out. I’ve traveled the world with my Black Mat PRO strapped to my back and wouldn’t have it any other way!
DEVIN
Perfect Set-Up: Black Mat PRO and eQua hold towel
I’ve had the Black Mat PRO for about 4 months and am still in the process of breaking it in. Although the salt method does expedite the break-in process, I haven’t had to salt my current PRO mat yet.
When I realized I was sweating more than I actually thought I was, I started incorporating the eQua hold towel into my practice. These towels have sweat-activated grip, getting super grippy when wet (they’re especially great during hot yoga classes).
Also, pro tip: If your eQua or yogitoes towels are losing their grip, wash them in vinegar to make them good as new again.
With my Black Mat PRO and the eQua hold towel, I feel like I’m ready for anything, and I’ve seen so much improvement in my practice.
HAILEY
Perfect Set-Up: eKO Mat + Natural Rubber Mat Wash + eQua hand towel
I’ve had a few instances throughout my years practicing where my hands just didn’t want to stay in one spot. So frustrating!
I love my eKO mat but I started to find that after leaving it in my cold car overnight, my hands were having a hard time staying in place. If you feel like that’s the reason you’re slipping, I suggest immediately washing your mat with either a solution containing 1 cup of 50/50 White Vinegar and water, or Manduka’s Natural Rubber Mat Wash.
I also use an eQua hand towel to help absorb any extra moisture from my hands. If the dry towel doesn’t hold my grip, I use my water bottle to dampen the towel and the grip becomes solid as a rock. If you want to get a grip on your practice and on your mat, seriously add the towel. It will change everything.
