Guest Author - Lisa Shea

A yoga mat is really the only thing that you tend to use on every yoga workout. It cushions your feet and gives you stability during some of the stretching moves. This mat is a full 1/4" thick and provides great cushion for your yoga routines.

First, a note about all yoga mats. Because of what they are made of, they tend to have a chemical type of smell when you first get them. This is normal! You simply air them out for a few days, perhaps wipe them down with soap and water, and this will dissipate. It's like breaking in a new pair of boots - you have to go through that initial phase.

I found the mat to be really wonderful. It is cushiony enough that it supports me in a variety of poses, whether I'm standing, kneeling, laying down, stretching. It is far better than doing yoga on a bare floor - whether that might be wood, stone, carpet or whatever. The cushion is really important for many poses.

Even though it has that nice cushion, it is also stable too. You feel quite firmly planted when you are doing balancing positions. It's not like you are trying to balance on top of a trampoline.

The mat is a good middle ground between "resistant to sliding" and "too sticky". You can readjust your feet when you need to - but if you want to plant your hands, it helps keep your hands in place.

I also really like that the mats comes in a wide variety of colors. People are more likely to exercise if they really like their exercise equipment. If you love green, go for green. I got the light lavender and really like it. To me it is calming and relaxing. Whatever color energizes or relaxes you, you probably can find it here.

The mat might be a little bulky to carry around with you, but you can get a lighter mat for use when you travel. This one is just perfect as an at-home mat, to really give you a solid base for whatever level of yoga you are currently at.

Highly recommended!

Buy the Extra Thick Yoga Mat from Amazon.com