Round mat 101: Why round, using the Form Grid & caring for your mat
This article aims to help you make the most of your round mat. Whether you’re a long time Pro round mat user, a new convert not knowing where to start or just thinking about getting down on a round; hopefully this serves as a useful guide and answers some of your questions.
We’ll be covering 3 areas:
Why choose a round mat?
How to work out using the Form Grid
Caring for your round mat
Why choose a Round mat?
When we first launched the Pro round mat, we had a lot of questions of why round? As one of the first round mats in the world, people are often curious: why choose a round mat over a rectangle?
The answer is somewhat simple: your yoga mat is a very personal choice and it is important to choose a mat which reflects and suits your style of yoga, as well as how, when and where you use your mat.
Spend more time on the mat
We don’t like stepping off our yoga mat onto the cold, hard studio floor any more than you do! Not only does it break your flow and focus, but you also lose the cushioning and support your mat provides during your practice.
While you can come into contact with the floor on a rectangular mat in many poses, you won't have the same problem on a round mat. Instead, you’ll be able to maintain contact throughout poses such as a wide-leg stance or lying on your back with your hands to your side, without having to turn sideways.
Of course, there are some positions on the round mat where you may find your feet touching the floor, such as plank or press-up, but overall you will find you remain on your mat more with a round mat.
Round mats also have the advantage of never needing to be rotated mid-class; when your instructor asks you to face a different direction: simply turn your body and you're good to go. Try not to look too smug as everyone else is moving their mats about!
Create your own space
Round mats help you to create your own area to work out in, be it at home or in the studio. Instead of working to stay within the confines of a narrow rectangular mat; round mats create space around you to move in any direction. After all, we don’t simply move backwards and forwards in life - we move in 3 dimensions!
The mats also create fantastic spaces to relax on, take outside, or create a safe, comfortable space for children to play on.
Increase focus
Round shapes have been proven to have a positive effect on the mind; the lack of corners can help improve your performance during a yoga flow or workout. Sitting in the centre of the mat during a meditation practice can help create a calm, safe space, helping you to get more from your quiet time.
Great for teachers
The round mats also offer some great advantages for teachers:
Move in all directions to demonstrate poses or salutations easily;
No turning the mat to demonstrate positions from different angles;
Dynamic class setup options, such as placing the mat in the centre of the studio and facing the class attendees inwards.
How to work out using the Form Grid
We created the Form Grid to aid alignment and consistency. We designed it with everyone in mind and developed it to be easily used by everyone, in any practice type. As such, there is no right or wrong way to use the Form Grid!
We recommend experimenting with the Form Grid in your workout and seeing what works best for you and your practice style.
We do have a few tips to get you started:
Align your body parallel to one of the lines running across the mat
Place your forearms along the triangles at the edge of the mat for plank
Place the hands at intersections or corners during press-up or straight-arm plank
Sit over the centre intersection for warm-up, cool-down or meditation
Keep an eye on where you place your hands and feet in poses (such as downward-dog) as it can help you create consistency in your practice day in, day out!
Caring for your mat
Our mats are all designed to last for years and the Pro round mat is no different. Our round mats don’t require any special care but there are a couple of things we recommend to keep it looking its best:
Cleaning
Like all our Pro and Travel mats:
For everyday dirt or marks, simply wipe down with a damp cloth with a little bit of soap;
If really dirty: place in the washing machine with some towels / padding to cushion it with a small amount of detergent (no bleach). Unless you’re doing lots of outdoor workouts or hot yoga, machine-washing probably won’t be needed very often!
Storage
The best way to store your mat is to leave it laid out flat. If this isn’t possible simply roll it up like a normal mat! It can help to alternate between coloured side up and rubber base side up when rolling it up. If you had a sweaty session, make sure to air for a little bit as you don’t want to roll it up while still damp.
Avoid direct sunlight
We use water-based inks as they’re better for your health and the environment; we recommend to avoid using in direct sunlight as this can lead to some fading.
We hope this helps you make most of your Pro Round yoga mat! Do feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or check out the articles below to get moving on your Round mat!.