on a quest, again: new mat

credit: www.yogateau.comFirst, the good news. After a long hiatus and many fits and starts, I am finally, finally back on my mat.  YES!

After months of indecision, I had the sudden realization that there was only one place to go, one thing to do. So back I went to 8:30 Saturday class with Laura. Perfect!

The bad news? Ugh, I need a new mat.

That first Saturday, I said to Trixie on our way to the studio, "watch me, I'm only going to do 50% of what's asked," wanting to be mindful not to over-do. But as soon as I was in the room, as soon as Laura started talking us through the poses, what 50%?

Trixie reminded me later that I've never done anything 50% in my whole life. True.

The first chaturanga? Sure, it was hard to hold the pose, but something just clicked. I remembered, oh yeah, I love this. I mean, really LOVE this.

One problem. My damn mat slides around under me in standing poses. It's distressing. It gets in the way. One would like to feel that one's feet are firmly planted. Or one's elbows or hands in an inversion. No longer the case with my old Prana Revolution mat. This is not new -- it was happening before I was injured, had surgery, and took this long yoga-break. But now that I'm back: I can't put up with that anymore.

I hate spending money on yoga mats.

Getting a new mat may not seem like such a big deal, but since it's a minor graveyard of mats around here, between Joe and me, adding one more broken-down, only-for-use-on-carpet mat to the pile of deads, is something I was hoping to avoid. It just seems so wasteful.

But it's undeniable: my mat -- the Prana Revolution, surely among the heaviest and most expensive mats on the market -- is truly and sincerely dead. We had some good times, me and that vast magic carpet. Alas, its time is done.

RIP Prana Revolution mat, created in harmony with Anusara (RIP).

So the quest for a new mat has begun. I'm taking suggestions and taking my time. I'll be testing rental mats at the studio, to see what I like, what sticks. I'll share my reviews here just in case you, too, are in the same quandary.

If you have suggestions, let me know.

Meanwhile, I'm plotting a mat-drive for our yoga-daft community. Surely I'm not the only one with dead mats in corners, collecting dust. Surely these could go somewhere, do something, besides turn into trash after serving us so well for so long. Stay tuned for details!

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