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So your favorite yoga loving friend has absolutely everything they could ever want? Well, I wouldn’t worry too much. Even if you can’t take the place of their favorite yoga mat or giant collection of yoga DVDs, maybe you can find them something a bit unusual. Here are a few unusual gift ideas that caught my eyes over at Gaiam.
I have this thing for water fountains - I absolutely love them. Like, I’m almost obsessed with them. It’s just a nice little departure from everyday life. You have this gentle, flowing river of your own to put into any place in your house.
I also happen to just love bambo, mostly because it’s the only plant I can successfully take care of. Either way, this meditation bamboo water fountain would be a great addition to your yoga loving friend’s practice room.
Yoga Pose Candle Holder - 24.00
This quirky handcrafted metal candle holder set should appeal to every yoga lover’s heart. Candles are always a great complement to a yoga practice, and giving candle holders that really go to the heart of their practice is sure to get some smiles here and there.
These were hand crafted in India, and I think I’ll end up buying a set of them myself. I’m a bit of a candle holder freak though! So far, you probably think that my house is filled up with candle holders and water fountains…that would be pretty awesome, though.
Singing Bowls - 89.00 - 120.00
Meditation is a big part of every Yogis life, but this is the part of the yoga practice that often gets overlooked as far as aids for meditation goes. Singing bowls are an absolutely amazing tool for this, producing some very haunting tones and harmonics when you use the included wooden dowel along the rim.
This bowl comes from Tibet, although I’m not sure if it’s handcrafted or not. Music has always played a large part in both my practice and my meditation, so this kind of thing is perfect for a unique gift.
If you want to make your yoga practice as ecologically sound as possible, or you are someone that takes strives in every aspect of their life to maintain green living, you might want to take a look at these special yoga mats:
Premium Eco Yoga Mat by Gaiam - 50.00
This luscious blue ultra thick yoga mat is made out of rubber and cotton mesh. The way that this is eco friendly is that the rubber comes from a ‘tapped’ tree that can keep on living and growing.
Nothing says green like a mat made out of natural rubber and recycled material! It has a bark like texture that makes a non slip surface, and the deep brown color is absolutely beautiful.
Envirofit Jute Yoga Mat - ON SALE 31.99
This interesting eco yoga mat is made out of Jute plants, which takes only 4-5 months to become fully grown. The fibers are meshed together with phthalate free plastic in order to make it stronger and durable enough to stay with you through all of your practices.
Terra Pure Eco Yoga Mat - 36.95
If you’re not into rubber for your eco friendly yoga mats, you might want to take a look at Terra Pure’s material. It’s crafted out of a material which is primarily composed of carbon and hydrogen - the common name is thermal plastic elastomer. There are zero toxic materials made during manufacturing, along with no PVC or heavy metals. Each side has a different texture that lets you match the texture to your preference.
Harmony Pro Natural Rubber Yoga Mat - 47.95
This is a perfect mat for those of you that love natural rubber along with super durable and thick yoga mats. It’s much tougher than your average yoga mat, and the non slip surface makes it perfect for higher intensity yoga practices like Ashtanga and Bikram. This biodegradable mat also comes in many beautiful colors - my favorite is orchid.
Last but certainly not least, this lovely two toned natural rubber yoga mat rounds up this list. For each of this mat sold, Mats Mats Mats will plant a tree in order to offset manufacturing and transportation environmental effects. The mat is biodegradable, thick, and has great traction. To further set it apart from other natural eco friendly yoga mats, the internal stability mesh in this rubber mat is also biodegradable - something you won’t find in many others.
Once you’ve found the perfect yoga mat, the last thing you want to do is have it get dirty and not fit to use. It’s neither difficult nor time consuming to take care of yoga mats right, so make sure you take these steps to making sure it remains beautiful and useable for years to come!
This yoga mat guide applies to most standard yoga mats - but if you have something in a non typical material such as cloth, you will want to go with the instructions given with the mat. For optimal cleanliness, you’ll want to clean your yoga mat once a week or once every other week, depending on how often you hit the mats.
I’ve seen several different solutions made for cleaning up yoga mats - Myra G. Kelley at Health magazine recommends one part water with three parts mild soap. Donna Raskin at Yoga Journal has a slightly different concoction, advising 2 cups water and four drops of dish soap. Regardless of what type you end up using, just spritz it lightly on the mat and rub it down with a towel.
If you have a really, terribly dirty yoga mat you can use mild detergent to cleanse it, but don’t put it in the clothes washer. Instead, soak it in warm water and detergent, then make sure that you dry it down completely. You don’t want to lose the sticky in your sticky mats, and you don’t want slippery from the soap either!
If you prefer a more innovative method to cleaning your yoga mat, there is such a thing as yoga mat cleaning wipes. My favorite of this kind of cleaning method are Jo-Sha Wipes. I love the fragrance from these little wipes - they are infused with soothing essential oils in Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, and Tangerine scents. They dry very fast and thoroughly clean the surface of your mat. The wipe has no alcohol or bleach, and it’s biodegradable. The plastic bag is 100% recyclable as well.
Chances are, you’re just starting out with your yoga practice, or you want to take the next step in advancement. You want to own your own yoga mat, but with so many choices out there it can be quite hard to figure out exactly what you need. That’s why I’ve come up with this list of five tips to help you choose the best mat for your needs.
5. The first consideration is the type of yoga that you are doing. More strenuous forms of Yoga, such as Ashtanga, are greatly helped out by either a thicker sticky yoga mat, or a cotton yoga rug.
4. Make sure that the length and width works for you. The last thing you want to be doing in the middle of an asana is adjusting your mat or trying to cramp your pose to fit a mat that is too small. Many places either have rolls of mat material that would allow you to cut your own custom length, or you can get extra long ones. They also make yoga mats in kids sizes as well.
3. Personal preference should play a key role in your decision. This is going to be your own personal mat, one you’re going to be staring down at for many many hours. Get something you’ll like!
2. Don’t go straight to the budget aisle - yoga mats are going to take a lot of beating from your practice, so you’ll want something that lasts. Most mats aren’t that expensive in general - you can get a good one for around $20-$30. Make sure that the mat is sturdy, easy to clean, and won’t tear or rip the minute you get it out of the box.
1. Your personal comfort levels are the most important thing in the world in Yoga. This isn’t a competition - this is about pushing your body naturally, and not overdoing it. If you would be comfortable with a thicker mat, then get one. If you prefer the feel of cotton against your feet, then try that out.
Sure, you might be stepping all over your yoga mat, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty. Some yoga mats are works of pure art, with lots of color and designs to express your creative side. I personally love lots of color and brightness in my yoga practice, but just make sure it’s not TOO colorful or you might get a bit distracted.
These printed Gaiam yoga mats (34.00) and matching yoga mat bags were the main thing I saw that spurred on this post. I absolutely love the chocolate brown and teal color combination.
Nature Collection Yoga Mats (24.95) come in a variety of colorful nature inspired colors - my favorite is the one pictured above, glacier.
Cotton Yoga Mats (32.95) have lots of pretty designs and colors
Retro Strip Mat (7.99) has a very nostalgic color scheme to it
Bamboo Moon Bag and Yoga Mat Kit (40.00) hits my spot for yoga accessory coordination
Do you want to get your kids into yoga, but you’re having a hard time finding yoga accessories for them? Well, thankfully MatsMatsMats has made a version of their Universal Yoga Mat for kids. It’s a smaller size so they can manage it all by themselves (24″x48″) and very colorful. As with other MatsMatsMats yoga mats, you can choose between two different thicknesses - I would recommend getting your child the most thickness, since they are likely to be rather rough with the yoga mat at first, as well as providing extra comfort while they are learning the asanas. There are a ton of very rich, vibrant colors to choose from, so that is another way to keep your kids interested in a healthy practice and lifestyle. Prices start at 13.99, so it certainly won’t break the budget, and should suit your child for a good number of years before you need to upgrade them.
MatsMatsMats (they like their mats) is currently running a great promotion over at their site - they are donating 10% of the purchase price on all of their pink yoga mats with a pink ribbon to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. So if you were looking for an extra mat, or would like to help out the cause, click here to go straight to the pink yoga mat page.
A few quick product details on this mat, for those of you who are interested - this is a sticky yoga mat, which gives you extra grip. It is made of PVC vinyl and has a very cushiony feel to it. Also, it is crafted to withstand wear and tear via internal central threading. You can hand wash this pink puppy, which measures in at 24″x68″ and has two different thicknesses. Pricing starts at 24.95.
This colorful, cute collection of yoga mats is part of the Premium Sticky Yoga Mat collection by Gaiam. Sticky yoga mats are great to have for several reasons - the first is if you are interested in higher intensity yoga workouts, such as Ashtanaga, you would want to invest in a sticky yoga mat because it will provide you with more grip, more cushion, and a great nonslip surface. The other reason you might want to look into getting this type of sticky yoga mat is if you need more cushioning, especially on floor postures. This yoga mat has twice the amount of cushioning as your normal mat, and that really tells when you are doing poses laying down.
Back to school time always brings a flurry of shopping, and if you’re unfortunate that can lead to a lot of stress and general unhappiness dealing with the crowds. Now that the kids are back to school, why not treat yourself to some relaxation time with yoga. Since you might be on a tighter budget right now, or maybe you’d just like to see some nice discounts on yoga props. Here are some of the latest low cost yoga accessories from Gaiam.
While you normally don’t want to skimp on price for a yoga mat, if you’re just starting out there’s no need to spend a lot of money on yoga mats until you know exactly what you’re looking for.
Tools for Yoga Kit 13.99 (original price 30.00!)
This is a very inexpensive solution for a complete starter kit. You get a yoga brick, a long cotton strap, a non slip mat, and a copy of AM/PM Yoga for Weight Loss DVD. This is great as a gift for a beginning yogi.
Power Yoga Mat Kit for 9.99 (original price 30.00!)
This is a great starter kit that covers most of your major needs - instructional video, yoga strap, and yoga mat (plus strap and mat match in a very rich color 
)
Batik Yoga Mat Bag 5.99 (Original Price 20.00)
This charming batik yoga mat bag is the perfect solution for storing or traveling with your yoga mat. These bags are handcrafted, using a traditional dye method. The drawstring closure has cute wooden beads on the end, and it’s 100% cotton.
