What to Do if You Have a Slippery Yoga Mat

Question: What Should I Do About a Slippery Yoga Mat?

Answer: When you finally make the big leap to owning your own yoga mat, it can be a little disappointing to discover that your so-called sticky mat has no traction at all. Aside from being annoying, if you are really slipping on your mat, you could hurt yourself. The main difference between your new shiny clean mat and the well-worn version provided by your gym is obvious: your mat needs to be worn down a bit. You can accelerate the aging process by running it through the washing machine. Keep using your mat, and it will soon acquire a slip-free surface. If sweaty palms are causing you to slip, try placing a hand towel across the front of your mat. You can use it to dry your hands, and also place your palms on the towel when doing poses like Downward Facing Dog. Just make sure the towel is on the mat, so it doesn’t slide. If you continue slipping, you may want to look into an anti-slip product like the Yogitoes Skidless towel or ToeSox. Premium yoga mats such as the all-rubber Jade or the Manduka Black Mat also provide better traction. For a easy way to compare the features of popular yoga mats, check out my yoga mat comparison chart.