Among all the mats available in the market, cotton mats are the most popular ones. Before buying yoga mats we should keep few things in mind. Are the mats serving the purpose for which they are bought? Are they easy to maintain? What is the life span of these mats? etc.

Cotton mats have many advantages over the others. They are extra soft and thick. They provide a perfect non-slip surface, which helps in doing yoga without the fear of getting hurt. These provide a nice padding around the knees and ankles for the yoga exercises. These are durable, portable, easy to maintain, washable and very light in weight.

They can be folded or rolled and stored conveniently in any corner of your house. Beautiful mat bags are also available to carry them to where ever you go. They are comparatively inexpensive, so easy on your pocket. These are available in different shapes and sizes and in a wide range of bright colours and pastel shades. It soaks sweat so your grip remains same on the mat so it keeps you from slipping even when you perspire. They are non-toxic and eco friendly. What more you can even enjoy a nap on it!!

To practise yoga in a safe and convenient way one should think of all the advantages and disadvantages of different types of mats available and then buy what is most suitable. With the long list of advantages, the cotton mats definitely have an edge above the others.

Yoga has been practised all around the world for thousands of years. Its regular practise rewards us with greater health and vitality and a perfect balance between mind, body and spirit. It brings true happiness, and makes you feel better from within. The breathing exercise and meditation helps you tune in, shape up and feel great all at the same time. Yoga is a cure to many ailments but it needs to be performed with care to avoid injuring oneself. Many times accidents occur while doing yoga exercises. Yoga mats should be used to avoid such circumstances as they provide cushioning and traction. These days’ markets are flooded with a variety of yoga mats. You find them in different colours, shapes and sizes. They are available in different materials also.

Some of the commonly available yoga mats are:

· Cotton yoga mats – these are mats made of cotton. They are thick and soft and give excellent support to your body while doing yoga. They are completely natural and have beautiful colour and texture.

· Eco friendly mats - These eco friendly yoga mats are made of PER i.e. Polymer Environmental Raisin. They are non-toxic, latex free, ecological and healthy. They are available in a wide range of colours.

· Tapas mats –these are stable and provide a non-slip surface. They give insulation from the cool floors.

· Rubber mats – these mats are made of natural rubber and are thin and easily movable. They provide good cushioning and resilience.

· Jute mats – these are latex free mats made of jute. They are made by meshing jute fibre with PER plastic.

· PVC mats – as the name suggests they are made of Poly Vinyl Chloride. They have a non-slip surface and are easy to maintain.

· Woven fabric mat – these are mats made of woven fabric which is thickly textured.

· Yoga towel mats – they are made of soft towel material, are easily washable and soak your sweat when you are doing yoga exercises.

There is yet another practical reason why a simple cotton mat wins our vote. Cotton yoga mats are cheaper to purchase or order as compared to artificial mats. Its nothing fancy, just a pack of compact cotton layers, evenly packed and covered in a sewn cotton jacket.

Sure you’d say so what do you do with all the sweat trapped in the cotton yoga mat? Sweat runs right off plastic, foam yoga mats, aren’t there chances of catching some kind of an infection with all that sweat trapped inside the cotton?

But here’s what makes a cotton yoga mat special. All you have got to do is wash it. If you have a washing machine just rinse it in tepid water, because hot water would shirk the cotton fiber and make your mattress look lumpy. If you don’t have a washing machine, just dip it in a tub filled with tepid water and wash it, as simple as it comes.

Finally, if you are into yoga to get yourself as fit as a fiddle. Go organic, use a cotton yoga mat, which is biodegradable. Help the world get fitter too.

But over the last few years the humble cotton mattress has seen competition heat up from other varieties of yoga mats. Mats have evolved over the years, in the same way yoga has over the years. Yoga mats are now made with specific materials suited for a particular brand of yoga. But despite such competition, the cotton Yoga mat has held itself in good stead.

You simply cannot ignore the fact that it’s organic. Over a period of time mattresses made of foam or other artificial substances like plastic are known to have resulted in allergies afflicted by the yoga practitioners due to the exposure of naked skin to the mats for long durations. Cotton poses no such problem vis a vis irritations or allergies as it is blessed with a much larger quotient of body tolerance.

Everyone requires basic fitness and a feeling of well-being. To achieve that people all around the world are following yoga. Those who have not started doing it should also begin to do so. Your ideal companion for doing it correctly and without the fear of getting injured is a cotton yoga mat.

Yoga mats of several different types of materials are available in the market. Out of these cotton mats are certainly among the bests. For hundreds of years a cotton yoga mat has been the choice of yogis who practise yoga and meditation.

There are many advantages of a cotton mat over the mats of other materials. The cotton yoga mats are extra thick and give a soft feel of cotton .It gives extra cushion and support for the joint and body. It is good for the knees and ankles as it prevents injury during exercise by providing extra padding.

Yoga harmonizes the mind with body. It is a complete body-mind workout. It benefits all… Young- old, male- female, rich –poor, fat- thin. It helps in gaining wholesome health and is very valuable and useful. It helps in overcoming stress, increasing and improving flexibility, and in making us physically and mentally strong.

It was initially practiced in India but is now becoming popular all around the world. Various exercises of yoga provide benefits to different parts of body. It makes use of the muscles and joints that are not used in regular routine exercises. The most remarkable feature of yoga is that it even works on the internal part of the body like heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver etc. and that too in a thorough manner.

It not only helps in keeping the diseases away but also warns before the likely onset of any disease. Yoga helps in toning muscles and relieving pain. It detoxifies the body by helping in supply of blood to all parts of body.

While purchasing a cotton yoga mat, consider which branch of yoga you wish to follow. If its astanga you are looking at, then you had best opt for a much thicker cotton yoga mat as compared to the ordinary ones. The thickness would help cushioning your limbs, while performing the more demanding astanga exercises.

But if you are switching to asthanga yoga midway through your schedule and you already own a cotton yoga mat with a regular thickness, fret not. Just lay down a thick cotton blanket or towel below the mat to enhance the cushioning.

If you are into traveling, it would be much simpler if you could purchase a bag in which you could carry your cotton yoga mat, preferably a bag with a sling, so that you could slip it over your shoulders. A bulky cotton yoga mat would be tough to lug around otherwise.

It would also be advisable to thoroughly feel the cotton yoga mat with your palms before purchasing the mat. This is done to see if the cotton used, has developed knots due to longer periods of storage. These knots have a tendency to dig into your skin, when a part of your body presses on it.

Another thing to be kept in mind while picking up a cotton yoga mat is making sure it fits your size right. That is, if you are a generously propositioned buyer, make sure you do not purchase a smaller cotton yoga mat to save some money. Choose a comparatively bigger mat, both in length and in breadth.

Yoga is meant to be performed with you at ease. There is no point you performing yoga asanas, when you are struggling to fit into the small mat you’ve bought to save some dough.

According to an old Sanskrit saying, if you get your posture right, chances are you’ll get your chore done right too. No matter how sincere your intent and dedication in learning and practicing yoga, it is your posture which matters. And the best way to ensure a correct posture is to fetch you a good yoga mat.

A good cotton yoga mat goes a long way in helping you obtain the maximum results for the amount of efforts put in. This not only makes a mat imperative, it also means you pick out the right kind of mat for you.

If it’s a cotton yoga mat you are looking out for, make sure it is level and evened out. A mat with a lumpy and inconsistent spread of cotton would not only pinch, but could also increase chances of you being thrown off balance, while you are midway into an asana.