Hello, it’s me Bad to the Blonde. I became a yogi in 2017 when I rolled out my first yoga mat at YogaSix in San Diego. I didn’t know the effects of what a cheap yoga mat could do on my body until I did some research to upgrade my practice with a Manduka yoga mat. Typically, I practice 2-4 times a week depending on how much my body hurts and the level of my anxiety AKA how bad I need to escape real life. My favorite is a good hot yoga session, slow flow, and yoga sculpt – in that order. Scroll, inhale. Breathe. Scroll, exhale. Breathe.
Choosing a yoga mat color
Several times in hot yoga I almost fell on my face because my mat was slippery. My wrists, knees and ankles, were hurting to the point I didn’t want to even do yoga. Come to find out my cheap mat was junk, which led me to my relationship with Manduka. I practice on the eko® lite in red and the prolite® in purple. Not only is the thickness a key factor but the color of your yoga mat can affect your practice, so choose wisely – that’s why I own two!
I roll out my Manduka yoga mat for a better practice and greener planet. This yoga mat will last forever but you will not. Order your new mat now—and practice on. After all, with so much to gain—and with absolutely nothing to lose—shouldn’t you at least take a look?
Have you thought about the quality of the mat that are you spending so much time on? Does your mat get slippery? Do your wrists or knees hurt? Is hot yoga in your practice? Have you thought about starting yoga? Are you confused on what mat is the best and why you should buy a Manduka over a Gaiam or Lululemon mat?
Gaiam makes cheap, thin mats. You’re paying for the Lululemon brand name. But only Manduka mats are designed to last. They are still crafted using simple, enduring, natural, and whenever possible, renewable materials and a fine attention to detail just like they were when the company started over 20 years ago.
A yoga mat should have technical qualities that will protect your joints and contribute to a greener planet by not ending up in the garbage. If you throw your yoga mat in the garbage because it wore out then you also threw your money in the garbage. I have become one with my mats. We have a bond just like the materials it’s made of.
Manduka makes the best yoga mat
There is only one yoga mat that is the best yoga mat on the market. It was said that the first yoga mats were, “at best, better than nothing”. Nothing needed something. The Manduka PRO® yoga mat is an ultra-dense and spacious performance yoga mat that has unmatched comfort and cushioning. It will never wear out and that is guaranteed! You can easily see and feel the difference when comparing different mats. I’m blonde and I figured it out real quick when I compared my Gaiam to the quality and materials of Manduka. Manduka believes that the practice and the planet are intertwined. To honor one, they honor both. You should, too.
“There’s a social and financial responsibility associated with building products that last,” he says. “And if you invest in quality, the environment will always benefit. Manduka has always been committed to making ethical decisions when it comes to designing and manufacturing quality products…you don’t just look at the bottom line.” – Peter Sterios
A yoga mat that supports your practice is very important. It’s one of the very few things that you need besides stretchy, moveable clothing to practice yoga. Skip the membership at a fancy studio. You don’t need to know Sanskrit even you’ll learn. Yoga is a total body and mind workout.
Create a home yoga studio
You can do yoga right at home if you’re not the ClassPass type with yoga workout videos on YouTube and yoga apps. Setup a small space just a little wider than the size of a yoga mat with a few supportive props block out the space (pun intended). At first, I thought yoga was super weird! Exhaling like a lion made me laugh out loud! I honestly thought it was some cult and couldn’t understand a damn word of Sanskrit. Now, I’ve joined that “cult” for life. I prefer going to class even though I have all the equipment to practice yoga at home. (I actually sleep with my bolster.) I personally enjoy attending a yoga class and there has been some laughter to lighten the mood!
Props are essential for assisting you with postures especially if you have as many ailments as I do. My favorite props are yoga blocks and the round bolster. I use yoga blocks when my hamstrings are super tight or my low back flames up again. Sometimes I truly need to let go and ground myself into a yoga bolster and the support of it gets me there. A yoga strap can be used for every body part! I love using my props! The need for support doesn’t mean weakness. Props will assist you and support you. It prevents you from overextending yourself. I use props for proper yoga pose form. Control. Peace to release. Breath. Movement.
You get what you pay for in a mat
I spent hours and hours on the Gaiam yoga mat 5mm solid purple that I bought from Target for about $30. Currently the price at Target is $24.99 and on Gaiam directly it’s $29.98. You get what you pay for – it’s cheap as in both price and quality, but it was affordable. I had that mat for two years and probably should have replaced it a year and a half ago (it last like a month). When I threw it in the garbage it was 3mm if that (started with 5mm) but it felt like I was doing yoga on the ground outside along a hiking path when I was on it. I tried to donate it to a charity for veterans, kids and the elderly, but no one would take it. Don’t get me started on Goodwill and the American Red Cross. It went in the garbage.
It would bunch up, too. At the end of it’s yoga mat life it wouldn’t even roll out. At all. It was like a wet towel. It was also slippery during hot yoga. Manduka yoga mats roll out every time like they are brand new. I own two of them because each is a little different yet the same (I also wanted two different colors because colors mean different things).
Gaiam vs. Manduka
What I like about the Gaiam mat is that each mat is reversible though, so you can choose which color you want to practice on. Ok, that’s the only thing I liked. For Manduka, sustainability isn’t just a word – it’s an inspiration.
Manduka has towels, too, to grip mats and nothing will replace one of these bad boys in a hot yoga session! Each Yogitoes towel is made from at least eight discarded plastic bottles, preventing them from entering landfills or polluting the ocean. The recycled bottles are woven into 50% poly yarn that requires 66% less energy to produce. Rich, vibrant colors are created free of AZO, lead and heavy metal dyes to protect Manduka workers, you the customer, and our environment. FSC certified recycled paper is only used in the packaging. The hand towels are like a Shammy but super soft – don’t worry you won’t have cotton all over your face!
Designed to last a lifetime (or two), Manduka PRO series yoga mats curb the amount of PVC mats that enter landfills every year and reduces overall mat consumption with a lifetime guarantee. During the manufacturing of most PVC products, toxic emissions may be released into the air. However, PRO series mats are manufactured through a process that ensures no toxic emissions are released into the atmosphere. The Manduka PRO is certified safe for human contact by OEKO-TEX®*, a material certification agency in Europe for the textile industry.
Roll out
I roll out my Manduka yoga mat for a better practice and props to greener planet. (Pun intended – see what I did there. Don’t forget the accessories to support your practice.) This is not a sponsored post but I will be honest and tell you that I am a Manduka brand influencer, and I encourage you to review and shop the products from this great company.
This yoga mat will last forever but you will not. So order your new mat now—and practice on. After all, with so much to gain—and with absolutely nothing to lose—shouldn’t you at least take a look?
I take great pride in walking into yoga studios and classes with my sustainable, high quality Manduka mat in a bag with my own props. I wanted to share this post about why I switched to an expensive mat from a cheap one, and why you should, too! Get on the Manduka mat to curb the amount of PVC mats that enter landfills every year and reduce overall mat consumption. You’ll do good things for your mind and body, and the environment.
I am, as I say, “5’5” on a good day”, so a standard Manduka yoga mat 71″ 180 CM is plenty long and wide for me. If you are much taller, you will need a longer and wider mat. The Manduka extra long is 85″ 215 CM. You can see the difference here.
Come on yogi. Beginner yoga. Soon to be yogi. Yoga warrior. You get what you pay for.
Be classy, be sassy and a bit environmentally friendly bad-assy.
XOXO