At the end of handstand class yesterday, as yogateach was wrapping up the class and giving us some last minute advice, one of the things she said was, “…and everybody should get a good-quality yoga mat. I can’t emphasize enough how a good quality yoga mat will elevate your practice. The ones made by Manduka are great. Don’t get the ones made by Gaiam. They’re not good at all.”
So I look down at my pretty pink yoga mat and what brand do I see at the foot but the word “Gaiam.” Waaaah! You mean to tell me I have to give up the pretty? I must admit the reason I got my mat was for convenience (they were selling it right at the gift shop of my gym), AND it was PINK. With flowers in it.
When I got home, I immediately went to the Interwebs to look up some reviews of yoga mats, and yes indeedy, seems like yogateach was right. Gear.com calls the Manduka Black Mat PRO “the Cadillac of yoga mats.” Sold! Where can I get me some of that? I asked.
The first place Google brought up is Amazon, which apparently is a big purveyor of mats. Who knew? I clicked on the link and it brought up a page with (naturally) a picture of the merchandise.
Ugh. What IS that ugly thing? It’s black. And thick. And, if the reviews are right, HEAVY. Seven freaking pounds! And eighty freaking dollars! Are you kidding me? If you’re going to make me buy something this expensive, why can’t it be pretty? Or at least come in different colors?
You’re going to say that if I want color, then I should get the Manduka Eko Mat, which comes in pink or green. And I would have, except the reviewer of the Black Mat PRO says this is THE yoga mat for Ashtanga, which is my favorite of all the practices.
So to offset the ugliness of the mat, naturally I bought a snazzy bag to carry it in. Check it out:
Isn’t it cute? The brand is called “Hugger Mugger.” And it’s purple! And it looks big enough to fit more than just a yoga bag. Hate those cylindrical bags that don’t look like they can fit a towel, let alone a water bottle.
To save some moolah I selected the “FREE Super Saving Shipping method” at Amazon, which means I won’t get my mat until probably two weeks from now. Blech. But Zappos ships overnight/two-day for free so I should get my snazzy new bag in a couple of days or so.
In the meantime, I shall continue using my pretty pink mat.
Namaste, dudes.
