My teacher Pio might caution me not to get too attached to a mat. But can this yogini help it if the Ferrari of all yoga mats is yours?

Yes, thanks to yogini mate Chona who lugged this all the way from the States, dragged it to Makati (hoping she could have my hubby get it — but didn’t due to a mobile signal glitch), and hauled it all the way back to my yoga center where she knew I was having classes. Chona my dear, you’re really the best! Good thing your arms are toned from all the yoga you’ve been doing! That mat is HEAVY!!! All 7 pounds of it!

I am now the proud owner of a Manduka mat!

So some may say, what the heck. A mat is a mat is a mat! Yes, that may be true. But after going through 2 generic mats and wearing out even the imported Gaiam mat that I have, this is the closest to mat heaven that I can get my hands on. First of all, it is eco-friendly (eKo brand). Manduka took 3 years to develop this mat which is made from non-amazon harvested tree rubber and is touted to decompose completely at the end of its useful life. Now THAT appeals to me a lot!

Second, while the mat feels smooth, once you plop your hands and feet on them, they have this awesome, non-skid grip that makes you want to do a headstand right on top of it (just joking!).

Third, the color I got turned out even better than its picture on the web. It says “Sand” but up close it is a deep golden brown.

 

Last but not least, Manduka mats are made for a lifetime. Well, that may be pushing it too far but tests have shown that this is indeed what one calls a high performance mat.

Woo-hoo! A lot of positive energy is definitely going to be soaked up by this mat.

Chona and I had a light dinner at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf after my class to chit-chat and catch up on her news. We had dumped all our stuff in my car but we had a good laugh when I changed my mind, opened the car again and took out the mat, carrying it all the way to Coffee Bean. As I told her: I don’t want anything to happen to this mat when I have not even used it yet! Yes, Pio, I remember what you say about detachment but indulge me this time, OK?

Can’t wait to try it out together with Chona (who has the moss Manduka) and Crissy (who got the aqua). Oh, and yogi buddy Jon has the lava mat. Looks like among us, we own all the available colors of eKO. Cool!

 

Earlier, Chona said: And it even smells like chocolate! I put it to my nose and yes, it DOES smell like chocolates! Eeks, tonight I have to store it out of reach of whatever crawls in the night looking for food!

Next, I read the instructions. That chocolate-y scent (which is actually its natural rubber scent) will go away if you leave the mat open for a week or so. Done! Plastic wrap is gone and it’s now lovingly draped over my computer chair and table.

Chona plans to leave the mat at the center. Too heavy to bring home, she says. Practical Chona! As for me, as long as I have a car, Sandy comes home with me.

🙂