Mat Review: Square Yoga Mats

I ran across this yoga mat recently and I think it would be a great idea for a home mat. When doing yoga on a standard mat which is typically 24 inches wide, certain yoga poses exceed the width of the mat. Now, I am not opposed to doing yoga without a mat and certainly I have chronicled my previous adventures as a mat-less yogi in my post Mat-titudes.

The problem with being partially on and partially off a yoga mat is one of comfort and balance. If for example I want to do a spread leg seated forward bend I would need to turn sideways on my mat and even then the surface of the mat would not be wide enough to keep all of my leg on the mat. I especially notice this in the winter when part of me is on the oh so comfortable mat and part of me travels onto the cold as ice floor. In summer it is not a problem of cold, but rather the unfortunate way my skin clings to the floor when the weather is hot and damp.

Another form of yoga that would welcome this square mat are partnered forms. Sure you can put two mats close together, but there are times that this can allow the mats to slip. Having a single mat for two people would be ideal.

The Square 36 yoga mat offers a six foot by six foot surface and is 6 mm thick (also known as ¼ inch). It is free of phthalates, latex and silicone. Check out the great reviews on Amazon.

The Yoga Direct square mat is also six by six feet and latex free. It comes in several colors and offers 1/4 inch of thickness. It also gets some great Amazon reviews.

So, to give you a consistent surface to do your yoga no matter the pose, or to allow partnered yoga, these mats are ideal.