Affirmats are Pretty and I Want One

Have you seen these yoga mats? I think they're awesome. I really really want one. I do have a growing hole in my prAna revolution mat, so I am coming up on mat replacement time anyway. I just might go for it because Affirmats are just so pretty and happy. They're not as wide as my current mat, so that would take some adjustment, but I think it's worth a shot.

"Natural eco-pvc blended with biodegradable jute fiber to create 
an amazing non-slip (really) surface."

Size: (5MM) 68 x 24 

Check them out Here - for Affirmats Yoga Mats ($64) and Yoga/Sports Towels ($32).

This is not a sponsored post. Photos via Affirmats. 

Better Buddies Makes Better Pet Products

If you have a pet and care about the environment then you need to know about a great little company that recently landed in my inbox. Better Buddies makes awesome pet supplies like beds and food mats. Their products are made of good things like hemp, organic cotton, and upcycled/recycled materials. They give to good causes.

I have a dog - a lovely little dog you've seen here from time to time. He eats like 4 times a day and on a hardwood floor. In the winter I think his feet get cold, and year round he makes spills and pushes his bowls around a fair amount. Obviously he needs a good sized placemat. If you've ever shopped around for a pet food mat then you know the options aren't exactly amazing.

Luckily, Better Buddies has come up with an idea that affects my dog love and my yoga love all at once. It's like this product was just MADE for yogis and their blissed out pets. It's even eco friendly because they're upcycling old yoga mats into cute food mats.

About the Mats:

Mats run 23"x17"
$19.99

We have taken discarded yoga mats sent in through donation and put them through a Wash + Stop^TM sanitation process, and cut them into perfect dog and cat food mats.

We celebrate each Bone Appetit and Meow Mat as a one-of-a- kind expression for all yogis and their pets! No two mats are alike in color or texture as each original yoga mat was different. Better Buddies is so proud to bring new life to yoga mats that have lost their purpose.

Unlike standard pet food mats, the Bone Appetit and Meow Mats are easily washable in the dishwasher and are slide resistant.

Better Buddies has partnered with the Best Friends Animal Society to begin work on various social responsibility programs and currently donates 10% of profit. Better Buddies’ mission is to shift society’s focus to adoption as the means to find a pet and to make no-kill kennels the way to find them.

Buy Them Here!

John Friend Collection from Manduka

A few different videos have been making the rounds lately announcing that Anusara and Manduka have partnered up to create a new collection of yoga mats and accessories. This is my favorite of the videos.

I may just have to buy the John Friend Collection eKO SuperLite® Travel Mat because I love purple and I don't own a single travel mat. My primary mat is like 7 pounds (heavy for toting around), whereas the superlite is only 2.5 pounds and easily folds up for packing.

Readers via Email - Click Here for the Video.

The Thick and Thin of Yoga Mats

I've been hearing a lot lately about how when you're looking for a yoga mat you really want to find something thick. According to current discussion thick mats are ideal and necessary. I really don't think that's always the case, so I just have to say something. Yes thick mats are great for things like tops of feet in virasana or knees during low lunges. Thick mats have their place, but they have their drawbacks too.

I've tried a lot of different mats - some I've purchased, some I've used because they were the only thing in the studio at work, and sometimes I've gone without entirely. The thickest mats I've tried were far from the thickest available, and I think it takes no time at all before a mat becomes too thick. If given the option of a really thick mat or nothing - I'd rather go bare.

The thickest mats I've tried have actually hurt my feet far more than the hardest wood floor. If your mat is thick but not firm then you will have difficulty balancing, and a potentially dangerous situation for wrists. Handstands, arm balances - these should probably never be done on a thick squishy mat. Some mats are thick but firm (not very common though) so they don't pose these problems and I don't really have any problem with them. However, thinner mats can be great and I prefer my mats a little on the thin side. I don't mind practicing on a bare floor, and I think thin mats get me the closest approximation to practicing on "the ground with stick". When I attended a Noah Maze workshop early this year I noticed he rolled out a mat that at first almost looked like a long black piece of paper. I don't even know where you get such a mat. It was crazy looking, but he prefers the thinnest mat possible.

This is all personal preference, but the point is that it IS an entirely individual situation. Your mat supports and holds you through the long journey of your practice. It needs to fit you, your practice, and your needs. Thick may not be it, so remember that when shopping for your next mat. Listen to your body, not to popular opinion.

My Big Fat Pet Peeve

I have a lot of little things that bother me when people come over to my house. It doesn't happen often, so I get used to things being my way. Usually it's just little things I don't bother bringing up because they're unimportant, but you know what REALLY bugs me - my mega-huge "in my house" pet peeve? People stepping on my yoga mat with their shoes. Let me elaborate...

My mat is kind of a permanent fixture in my living room floor. There are currently two giant mats in the floor with a big gap in between them that leaves a nice walking path through the room. Since it's generally just me, the husband, and the dog - we can leave our mats out and not really care. Everyone knows not to walk on the $100 mats with shoes. Bare feet? Fine. Socked feet? Fine. Shoes? No. Mud? No. Mud and grass and unidentifiable ickem?? NO!!

My mat got walked on yesterday by a visitor who stopped by unexpectedly (otherwise I would've moved the mats). He's been here before; and he knows better. He walked all over it, like it was made exactly for walking muddy shoes on. I actually yelled at him - and called him names. *sigh* Not my finest moment.

I wish I had handled it better, but to be totally honest - I just wish people would keep their shoes off my mat.

Photo Source: The Internet?? dunno. Well - That 70's Show, really.