Best Yoga Mat Deals
Local Stores: Ross Stores have good-quality mats for $7.99. Ross has 7 Tucson locations. It's hit or miss, so plan to try a few stores if necessary. TJ Maxx and Marshall's also often have mats for $12.99.
Online: Instead of driving all over town you might prefer to just order online. The best price we've found online ($15 plus shipping) is Yoga Accessories.com. We've tried these mats and they're very good quality.
At Tucson Yoga: We sell standard mats for $15 each, and extra-thick ones for $20. Basic nylon mat bags are also sold, for $10-$12.
Eco-Friendly Mats: Standard PVC-based yoga mats contain pollutants and toxins that are harmful to the environment and to your body. There are many eco-friendly options on the market, including eco-mats and cotton mats at yogaaccessories.com. |
Washing Your Mat
How often should you wash your mat? This depends on many factors, including how clean your hands & feet are when you practice, how much you sweat, and how you store your mat. If your mat is kept rolled-up between classes, you'll need to wash it more often than if you hang it up to store. If you wipe your mat after each usage (preferably with a yoga mat cleaner), it'll also require less-frequent washings.
Bathtub Method: Fill the tub with 3-4 inches of warm water and add a small amount of dishsoap. Immerse mat in water and scrub with a rag or soft brush. Rinse. Hang in bathroom or outside to dry (mats can take a long time to dry, so allow up to 24 hours.)
Washing Machine Method: Yoga mats are surprisingly resilient in washing machines - but it must be a front-loading washing machine. Just stuff it in there, use warm-water setting with a small amount of soap, and wash it just like clothing. Most yoga mats can also withstand commercial dryers on high heat, but they'll never get completely dry in the dryer. Plan to hang your mat up for an additional 6-24 hours. |
Personal Mat Required by March 1st
As of March 1st, we are officially asking students to use their own personal mat at Tucson Yoga, and we'll begin asking for a $1 donation to rent our studio mats. We'll be working hard this month to make the transition as smooth as possible for our students. Yoga mats have become inexpensive enough (see right sidebar) that the cost should not be prohibitive to most people.
Borrowed mats will be checked-out at the front desk, and students will be asked to clean the mat with a mat-wipe and hang it up after class. First-time students will get one free mat usage.
Suggestions
Car-free students in particular should consider buying a Yoga Mat Bag. You can buy a basic nylon bag at Tucson Yoga for $10-$12, or check out the bags at YogaAccessories.com, which has the lowest prices for both nylon and cotton yoga mat bags. Please write your name on your mat and mat bag with a big marker (maybe a phone number too). You can do this at the studio - we keep a large black marker on the front desk for this purpose. Many anonymous mats are left behind at Tucson Yoga and never recovered.
Nobody Turned Away from Class
We do not want to hinder anybody from practicing at our studio, and nobody will not be turned away for lack of a dollar or a mat - that's why this is a "suggested donation." However, we feel that 99% of our students can afford their own mat, and they just need this extra encouragement.
We Have Good Reasons
Why are we doing this? Our current studio mats are used heavily by many kinds of people, including people who are either very sweaty, not very clean, or who have athlete's foot and/or plantar warts. We've always requested that all regular students use their own mat, and tried to explain that studio mats are primarily for brand-new students, but a full 50% of students still use the studio mats, even students who have their own mats at home, just because it's easier. We feel that 99% of regular students can afford their own mat and carrying bag without hardship. We just aren't able to keep up with the cleaning needs of these mats, with the large volume of usage they receive. It is very expensive and labor-intensive to wash them all on a regular basis. Plus, they take a very long time to dry (up to 24 hours) which means they're never able to dry before the next class, complicating things even more. The result is that the studio mats are disgusting and they may also pose health risks (read below). We want everybody to understand we aren't doing this to turn a profit or punish anybody - instead we just hope to convince students how important it is to make a personal mat part of your practice.
Do Communal Mats Really Pose Health Risks?
There's no conclusive information about the health risks of shared yoga mats, but there's good reason to be cautious. A 2006 New York Times Investigation created a buzz about a high incidence of athlete's foot and plantar warts among yogis in Brooklyn. However, the findings of this report have been challenged as mostly speculative, so the issue is unclear. No conclusive studies have been made available yet. Still, as a precautionary measure, more and more studios and fitness clubs everywhere are requiring students to carry their own mats. With the lack of reliable information and the non-breathable quality of yoga mats, it's a good idea.
YogaAccessories.com
We recommend YogaAccessories.com for yoga mats, mat bags, and mat cleaning products. We have no advertising arrangement with them, they simply have quality products at the best prices we've found.
