What is my eco yoga mat made from?

Many are looking for options aside from plastic mats for yoga that are available everywhere.  We know and have a sense that there are some other choices but what are they?  For the sake of the environment here are some ingredients for you to know about that are great eco yoga mat options.

Rubber is by far the most predominant ingredient in eco yoga mats. It has all the properties that you would want if you were doing odd poses on the floor every day.  It is also natural, biodegradable and easy to form into a mat.  Rubber comes from various types of rubber trees which are cultivated primarily in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Rubber also has a synthetic family member so be aware of this when you are shopping for what you need.

The second hit ingredient is cotton.  It is a super star in many ways giving sweat absorption, traction and a soft workable surface to perform on.  It is cultivated in India primarily and can be used in yoga rugs as well as in the scrim of rubber mats.  Cotton is guilty of a few charges, mainly over fertilization, lots of pesticide use, GM use and even depleting the soils where it is grown due to commercialization.  That is why organic cotton is highly recommended vs. regular cotton.

Jute fiber, or burlap, as we know it is in America is another popular component of eco yoga mats. It is used mostly in combination with rubber to give substance and texture to rubber mats. It is a very grounding material, an easy crop on the environment and also produced in India like cotton.  This fiber goes over well and may be something for you to look for in your mat.

These are some great materials to start with on your search for the best eco yoga mat.