Slipping in sweaty practice

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hello all.

A few weeks ago I purchased a yoga mat that a friend of mine recommended, the Gaiam reversible yoga mat.
The mat is fine in non-sweaty practice, but now with summerly temperatures and humidity (I’m living on the East Coast) rising I’m having real problems getting a grip on that mat, since the sweatier I get, the worse the the mat.
I’ve used it for several weeks for an hour almost everyday, I soaked it for several hours in water and mild detergent, I cleaned it with with a cleaning spray, and I don’t feel any improvement whatsoever.

I talked to my teacher today, and she suggested several options: to get a mat better suited for sweaty practice; to try yoga toes/gloves; to try a skidless towel.

I’d love to hear your experiences what works best for you in a sweaty practice before I make an investment.

Thanks,
Anke

#2

Hello Sulpicia,

Thanks for posting.

The first pvc mat i got took perhaps six weeks to break in. I thought i might have had a dud at the time as it was rather slippy & slidy when i got it…but sooner than later it was real grippy .I’ve got an “eco”-marketed mat and there’s more traction to it in comparison(maybe too much grippiness for some styles like quick or ashtanga vinyasa just for e.g where you’re swinging in between your hands say, back & forth, and all that jazz); It’s a jute(think hemp or string) weave enmeshed on a rubber base(‘th[SIZE=3][SIZE=2]e[/SIZE][/SIZE] original eco yoga mat’ uk brand).I tend to use a rug though.

You could always wait a couple more weeks unless you were desperate.

Perhaps this is the way it is with pvc or alot of new mats.

(i thought i heard somewhere the suggestion to put it in a washing machine but you’re probably better breaking it in manually, if that’s the case here)

#3

I have a carpet on top of my mat to get better grip when sweaty, and it’s also much nicer to lie on a carpet than a piece of plastic. Mat below just so the carpet don’t slip.

#4

Thanks a lot.

Core, the mat is supposed to be eco; is consists of TPE (although I don’t know how eco that is – it is recycable, I think).
You’re right, maybe I should give it more time. I’ve just washed it again and even brushed it with soap and water. Well, tried to brush it, for the brush kept sliding off. Maybe it simply is not a good mat. :wink: I might try the washing machine on top of that.
From what I’ve googled, other people seem to have the same problem.

Danny, what kind of carpet do you use?

#5

Sulpicia, i use this one. It is a little rough but I think it will get better. A mysore mat or something would be better but they are expensive :slight_smile: check this

#6

Thank you. :slight_smile:

#7

This has been discussed before:

http://www.yogaforums.com/forums/f16/hands-slipping-during-asana-practice-5451.html

I have a Jade Yoga mat and after years of use still find that it does get slippery when I begin to sweat heavily or practice in a heated room. I use a Yogitoes towel over the mat and this works well for me. If I didn’t use the towel, certain asanas would be dangerous as my feet get so slick that they’d slide right off the mat, even with proper weight distribution.

Just be aware that the Yogitoes towel will cause you to slip if you use it dry on your mat and you are not sweaty yet. Sometimes I will dampen the towel prior to class in the area my hands go during downward facing dog so that I don’t slip while I’m warming up.

I bought my first Yogitoes towel at Lululemon and I think it was around $60. But Winners started selling them (I live near Toronto) for $30 which I find is good value.

Good Luck!

#8

Thank you, I’ve seen that (but only after submitting the new thread…).

#9

Hi there,
I have this same problem, and I have found that an everyday bathroom towel over the top of my yoga mat reduces this problem greatly! It does not eliminate it, but it’s a much cheaper solution than buying a skidless towel from lululemon…

Hope this helps :slight_smile:

#10

Thank you, guys!

An everyday bathroom towel, huh – I have to try that!

#11

I have a Manduka Eco Mat- and I love it- but I also need something for absorbing my sweat. I’ve been using a Mysore rug for several years now. I bought it at the studio where I practice. I love it. I place it on my mat when I start to get really sweaty and slip a little. It works great and fits over my mat perfectly, and I’ve had it for probably over 6 years now and I think it just gets better with age.

I always also bring a regular bathroom towel with me to wipe my face when the sweat starts dripping down (I’m a big sweat-er) :), and I find it to also be good to use on the mat when I don’t have my Mysore rug with me. The only issue is that the bathroom towel isn’t “mat size”, so you don’t get complete coverage over your mat. But I guess if you were to use a big beach towel it would work…

Good luck!

#12

There are so many different sizes so it should be possible to find a good size. My carpet is about 5 cm overlap in each direction and it’s great. Also consider the thickness (stability) of the overlaying carpet/towel. It could be slippery if it’s not so stable. Mine is like a rock and don’t move at all, only negative thing with that is when you roll it, it gets quite a good volume :slight_smile: