When your mat is becoming more of a distraction and a hindrance to your practice than a useful tool, it's time to move on. If I've learned nothing else from my yoga practice, it's how to let go of the things that are no longer serving it. It is time for a new mat.
Now, I'm kind of a yoga products whore. I love mats, props, clothes, books, magazines--anything that reinforces my dedication and love for this practice. That said, I take the task of choosing a new yoga mat seriously. A yoga student's relationship to her mat is surprisingly intimate--not only does she rely on it to provide support and keep her safe, there's a lot of energy moving around during a yoga session and a mat collects that energy.
What do I look for in a mat?
- Good karma. I want to do as little harm as possible as I can to the world.
- Durability. My last mat lasted me 6 years, which is a great run. I want my next mat to last even longer than that!
- Thick and cushiony. I'm bony, so I want a mat that will be kind to my knees, wrists, ankles, and other bony parts when they're connecting with the ground.
- Grippy (Not Slippery When Wet). Yoga turns me into a sweaty mess. I need a mat that will
- Personality. Choosing a mat color is kind of a big commitment if you plan to use your mat every day for the next 10 years. I wanted a soothing color with some personality, too.
HOW TO WIN
It's easy. Now that I have a new mat, I need some advice for what to do with my old one. Comment below and tell me the most creative way you've reused an old yoga mat. I'll choose the winner based on creativity and usefulness. I'll announce the winner here next Monday, January 9th and you'll have until the following week to email me to claim your prize. Sound good?
AND THE WINNER IS...
Thanks for all your great advice! So many great ideas here!
Steph R! Congratulations!
Email me at spoiledyogi@gmail.com with your full name and address and I'll get a mat sent out to you!!
Pass on the good yoga vibes to your pets; for the cat, cut a piece to put outside of the litter box so the litter comes off paws and doesn't go all over the house but also cushions little paws! If you use pet crates or carriers (for either cat or dog), the mat can also line the bottom of the crate/carrier so they don't slide around. It also gives padding & cushioning for their comfort!
ReplyDeleteGood luck finding your next mat!!
Cut the old mat into strips to use as extra padding under your knees or hands in poses that might require extra cushioning!
ReplyDeleteWhat about folding it a couple of times and then rolling it up to form a thicker rolled mat? It can then be taped up and used as a prop for activating the inner lines of the legs during ab exercises, etc. It can also be used in chest openers and more restorative-type poses.
ReplyDeleteI collected my older mats and started posting in local yoga studios for others to donate theirs so I can bring them to homeless shelters in the City. (a local laundromat donates washes in their commercial size machines so that I can wash them all before I drop them off) I usually write some peaceful/enlightening phrase and roll it up in the mat. Hopefully it brings the new user some much needed peace when they read it.
ReplyDeleteMy original plan was to bestow my old mat to recycleyourmat.com but if I were to get more creative... The first idea that came to mind was to use fun cookie cutter shapes to trace designs for beverage coasters. That might take up about 11% of the mat :) The rest I would cut up to fit as drawer liners after spritzing with my favorite essential oils to make my clothes smell nice. Last piece would go in the shower as a barrier to prevent slips. Alas, now I can honor my mat in its after-life bed, bath & beyond!
ReplyDelete~Christina
I turned mine into a bed for my cat. He loved sitting on my old mat when I was still using it, so I cut it up in three equal pieces, glued those together with rubber glue and put it on top of a dresser he likes to sit on. He loves it and he's no longer interested in sitting on my mat when I practice :-)
ReplyDeleteI keep my old mat in the back of my car. It comes in handy for lots of things, like when I take my kayak off the roof but don't want to put it directly on asphalt. Once you have yours stashed back there, you'll find a hundred uses for it.
ReplyDeleteI line cabinets and shelves (the weave texture makes trimming easy)and glue to the bottoms of chair legs, potted plants and anything else I set on my floors for no scratches :)
ReplyDeleteI will have to try the car thing though! That's a great idea!
I give my mat to a friend that hasn't tried yoga yet...tell them to keep it, try it out, and if (I mean when they become hooked :-) they can buy a new one and give their old one to the next person and get them addicted to yoga, and so on...paying it forward to share the wonderful experience of yoga with as many people as I can :-) Jessica
ReplyDeletehttp://www.recycleyourmat.com/
ReplyDeleteDonate it
http://life.gaiam.com/article/50-ways-reuse-your-yoga-or-fitness-mat
Happy New Year!
Whoo hoo! Congrats on the new mat! I still have my holey Jade mat in the closet...I can't quite unload it. I may put it back into use for kundalini since I use blankets on top of it anyway :)
ReplyDeleteHope you and the bebe-ini are well ♥♥♥
probably not the most creative, but functional. i just got a new yoga mat too. also, our cats have recently decided to knock over their water dish, constantly. so, i paired the two together: i used the old yoga mat to define their eating/drinking space, and keep the floor dry. :)
ReplyDeleteI have two mats in my kitchen - in front of my sink, and in front of my stove. They slid around on the tile, but when I got my kitties that was the end. I would find them across the kitchen from the kitties running and sliding on the tiles! I cut up my old mat and put pieces under my kitchen mats. No more sliding, and now my kitchen mats have a bit more cushion to them.
ReplyDeleteI also used part outside my cats' box. One cat would pee on anything fabric, but he seems to be quite happy with the yoga mat. Yay!
My cat was instantly jealous when I told him about other cats getting used yoga mats!
ReplyDeleteI've donated my used mats to friends (just two mats after 10 years of practice, so I used them well and took good care of them), and some yoga friends caught wind of this and now I receive used yoga mats from friends on the regular. I donate these mats to other people just getting into yoga, or to those I wish to inspire to try yoga (they can always give it back to me with no hurt feelings!). Yoga is a co-creation of body, heart and spirit, so by donating these useful mats I hope to manifest much creativity for others and my community.
As for what to do with your old mat with the hole? Cut up the remaining pieces that have integrity (that won't wipe off excess pieces of mat to the touch) and use them for floor protectors, drawer liners, extra padding under a cushion, or even to keep carpets in place if the mat still has a grippy texture. Hope you enjoy your Manduka! I went with Manduka for my third mat about 5 years ago and I've loved it!
I donated my old mat to my neighborhood gym (they offer a few yoga classes & also mat Pilates) so that people who wanted to try yoga but didn't have a mat would have one to use!
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I'd recommend putting it in the back seat of your car for Penny to sit on during car rides! And, if you stop somewhere for an impromptu picnic, you have something to sit on!
ReplyDeletesend it to Recycle your Mat. They do a great job recycling any kind of yoga mat. I've sent them tons of mine!
ReplyDeleteMake a vision board! As an example of what you could do... Cut pieces of your mat into 6 mini-mats, each to represent a year that this mat has served you and your practice. You can combine this with photos over the six years as you have developed as a student of yoga or images that have inspired you. Even words. Then as a final touch you can then add a section for your future goals. Perhaps an honorary 7th mat for all of the coming years of practice. Vision boards are a great way to find perspective, motivation, direction, or about honouring something or someone; they can be whatever you need them to be! And they can look so nice too!
ReplyDeleteMy cat used to get on my old cheapo yoga mat to scratch - usually underneath me! When I upgraded to a different mat, I took the old one and wrapped it around an old block of reclaimed wood and stapled it into place. It's her new favorite scratching post!
ReplyDeleteYou could also send it to recycleyourmat.com, donate to a gym/YMCA/Boys & Girls Club (after washing of course!), put it under a stationary bike to prevent shifting around, or cut bits to stick under furniture legs to protect your floors.
You could cut to use under a loose throw rug. or as mat to put wet or muddy shoes outside or in the garage. mine was thin enough to use as padding between dishes I wanted to store!
ReplyDeleteYou could cut it into small circles and create several jar openers :-)
ReplyDeleteNamaste,
Cailen
Www.lifestylemaven.org
Since it has a hole in it, I'd use pieces of it to cushion my knees while gardening. Also, my pre-schooler likes playing with mine, I'd consider trimming it down for her...
ReplyDeleteUse it as a canvas and go to town- Jackson Pollock style. If you don't like, just keep adding colors upon colors. They're making art out of everything these days plus it sounds so fun to me!
ReplyDeleteHow about mouse pads for your computer?!
ReplyDeleteuse it as a bed mat for camping!
ReplyDeleteMy yoga studio accepts some-what used ones for the nonprofit arm of the organization - Yoga District in DC. Love it! It makes me feel good about getting a new one when I am ready for some change.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your great advice! So many great ideas here!
ReplyDeleteAfter much deliberation... the winner is ...
Steph R! Congratulations!
Email me at spoiledyogi@gmail.com with your full name and address and I'll get a mat sent out to you!!
Yay! this is so exciting! I really hope you do create a vision board! it's a lot of fun! And of course I would love to see a picture when its done! HAve fun with it!
ReplyDeleteI used Yoga mat regularly while doing yoga. It really beneficial when you are doing movements when you are doing yoga exercises.
ReplyDeleteI've seen them recycled into flip-flops...but I'm biased because flip-flops are my favorite things (second only to yoga). Here's a wikihow article on how to do it! http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Flip-Flops-from-a-Yoga-Mat
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your new Mat!!