Back to the roots: The yoga carpet impresses with its originality
At the beginning of asana practice – even in its more modern forms and of course even more so if you look back to its origins – non-slip yoga mats, as you see them in every yoga studio today and can be found in our range in great variety, were not even “on the radar” of practitioners. Practice was done on the bare floor – or, as we know from Krishnamacharya, who is considered the forefather of modern asana practice, on carpets. In India, practicing on a yoga carpet instead of a yoga mat is still very common today. The yoga carpet is now also being rediscovered in the West. More and more yogis are taking a liking to the simple surfaces, which convey a pleasant feeling of originality and are wonderfully puristic and natural. Not high-tech, but a very simple material – for many people this is particularly appealing, because sometimes we simply long for naturalness and simplicity. Many people also use the yoga rug as a complement to the yoga mat, because a yoga rug differs from a non-slip mat in practice due to its different properties and therefore automatically offers a different experience of the asanas, which can enrich the practice with new nuances. For some, it has become clear that they particularly like using the yoga rug for Vinyasa Flows, because less traction can sometimes be helpful for this, while others prefer to use it for calm, static postures - individual preferences differ here, and everyone will find out over time when they prefer a non-slip yoga mat and when they would like to use the yoga rug. In any case, the yoga rug is an alternative that we have been very happy to add to our range.
Many good reasons for choosing a yoga rug
A simple but important criterion for the popularity of yoga rugs is the naturalness and originality mentioned above. Many people simply like a cotton rug, they feel comfortable with it and like the fact that the yoga rug is a traditional aid and comes without any "frills". From a tactile point of view, many yogis and yoginis also simply find it good to feel the structure of the rug lightly under the soles of their feet. At the same time, the floor is also more clearly perceptible than with the usually more padded yoga mats (with the exception of particularly thin mat models).
Skin-friendly cotton, carefully woven by hand (in the case of our yoga rugs), wonderful colors - that's it. Moderately priced and beautiful to look at, the yoga rug is love at first sight for many and very affordable. A yoga rug is also very easy to care for (many of our yoga mats can be machine washed and thanks to the yoga mat cleaner, even models that are not machine washable can be cleaned well - but the yoga rug is definitely one of the easiest to keep clean and fresh). A yoga rug is heavier on the floor than a towel, for example, and this aspect is also often cited as a plus point. And last but not least, the point of practicing a little differently should be mentioned again, because a thinner, less cushioning and slightly different surface automatically changes the finer details of the asanas, which can be very interesting and worthwhile.
What was it like with Krishnamacharya? – A brief look back at the tradition of the yoga carpet
For several decades, non-slip yoga mats have become very popular in the West. We ourselves are experts in this field and have a lot to say about the advantages of the mats (see other categories in our shop). Nevertheless, we are aware that asanas were already being practiced before the invention of the yoga mat - on the floor or on carpets. Krishnamacharya practiced standing postures directly on the floor and sitting postures on the yoga carpet. His successors also relied on the tried and tested carpets. At the Ashtanga Institute KPJAYI in Mysore, all course participants are even encouraged to use yoga carpets instead of yoga mats. (In this context, this is mainly due to the fact that not all non-slip mats absorb sweat - when a group of people do a sweaty practice, the floor can quickly look like the spinning room in a fitness center...)
And of course it was not only the famous teachers like Krishnamacharya or his equally famous successors who used yoga rugs, but also lesser-known yogis and yoga teachers all over India. The yoga rug therefore has a long tradition and is firmly established in yoga, even if it may still seem exotic to some passionate yogis in our latitudes.
The yoga rug as a gift
Would you like to give a gift to a yoga practitioner who has already tried out many non-slip mats and already has a small collection of different models, along with other equipment? You don't know what to give him (or her)? Then the yoga rug might be just the right idea! Following the motto "back to the roots", the rug is a nice addition for every yogi.
Yoga rugs in the YOGISHOP
Because we are so enthusiastic about the yoga rug, often referred to by the English term yoga rug, we will be permanently integrating it into our range. It is quite possible that you will soon discover an even wider selection of yoga rugs with us (we will also announce this in our newsletter) - just keep checking back to discover new products. A selection of beautiful yoga rugs is already available from us. We hope you enjoy them!
