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Back to the roots: the yoga rug convinces with originality

In the early days of asana practice - even in its more modern forms, and of course even more so if you look all the way back to its origins - non-slip yoga mats, such as you see today in every yoga studio and find in great variety in our range, were not yet "on the radar" of practitioners. They were practised on the bare floor - or, as we know from Krishnamacharya, who is considered the forefather of modern asana practice, on carpets. In India, practising on a yoga carpet instead of a yoga mat is still very common today. In the West, too, the yoga rug is now being rediscovered. More and more yogis are taking a liking to the simple rugs, which convey a pleasant feeling of originality and are wonderfully puristic and natural. No high-tech, but a very simple fabric - for many this is particularly appealing, because sometimes we simply long for naturalness and simplicity. Many 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 other properties and therefore automatically offers a different experience of the asanas, which can enrich the practice with new nuances. Some people have found that they particularly like to use the yoga mat for Vinyasa flows, because less traction can sometimes be quite helpful for this, while others prefer to use it for calm, static postures - this is where individual preferences differ, and everyone will find out over time when they prefer a non-slip yoga mat and when they like to fall back on the yoga mat. In any case, the yoga rug is an alternative that we are very happy to have included in our range.

Many good reasons that speak for a yoga rug

One simple yet important criterion for the popularity of yoga rugs is the naturalness and originality already mentioned. Many people simply like a cotton rug, they feel comfortable with it and like the fact that the yoga rug is a traditional tool and comes without any "frills". From a haptic point of view, too, many yogis and yoginis simply feel good to feel the structure of the carpet lightly under the soles of their feet. At the same time, the floor is also more noticeable than with the usually more cushioning yoga mats (with the exception of particularly thin mat models).
Skin-friendly cotton, (in the case of our yoga mats) carefully woven by hand, wonderful colours - that's it. Moderately priced and beautiful to look at, the yoga rug is love at first sight and well affordable for many. A yoga rug is also very easy to clean (although many of our yoga mats can also be machine washed and thanks to the yoga mat cleaner, even models that are not machine suitable can be cleaned well - nevertheless, the yoga rug is definitely one of the particularly easy underlays to keep clean and fresh). A yoga rug is heavier on the floor than a towel, for example, and this aspect is also often mentioned as a plus point. And last but not least, the point of practising in a slightly different way should also be mentioned, because a thinner, less cushioning and slightly different mat automatically changes the subtleties in the practice of the asanas, which can be very interesting and rewarding

What was it like with Krishnamacharya? - A brief look back at the tradition of the yoga rug

For some decades now, non-slip yoga mats have become very popular in the West. We ourselves are experts in this field and know quite a bit about the benefits of the mats (see other categories in our shop for this). Nevertheless, we are aware that even before the invention of the yoga mat, asanas were practised - on the floor or on carpets. Krishnamacharya practised standing postures directly on the floor and sitting postures on the yoga carpet. His successors also relied on the tried and tested carpets. In the Ashtanga Institute KPJAYI in Mysore, all course participants are even encouraged to use yoga carpets instead of yoga mats. (In this context, this has mainly to do with the fact that not all non-slip mats absorb sweat - if a group of people then engages in a sweaty practice, the floor can quickly look like the spinning room of a fitness centre...)
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. So the yoga rug has a tradition and is firmly at home in yoga, even if in our latitudes it may still seem exotic to some passionate yogis at the moment.

The yoga rug as a gift

You want 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! According to the motto "Back to the roots", the rug is a nice addition for every yogi

Yoga rugs in the YOGISHOP

Since we are so enthusiastic about the yoga rug, often referred to by the English term Yoga Rug, we will integrate it permanently into our range. You may soon discover even more yoga rugs (we will announce this in our newsletter) - just keep checking back to discover what's new. We already have a selection of beautiful yoga rugs available. We wish you a lot of joy with it!

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