This morning I awoke nice and early and headed off to a power yoga class.
I was really anxious to try out the new yoga mat that I purchased a couple weeks ago and arrived ready to stretch and sweat.
After considering all of your advice on which yoga mat to buy, I ended up purchasing a Manduka PROlite mat.
I chose the Manduka mat in part because I liked that it was thicker and longer than other mats and also because it popped up on sale on RueLaLa a couple of days after I started my yoga mat search. Yes, a sale sealed the deal. (The sale also dictated the color I bought. I was hoping for the pretty teal mat!)
When I unrolled my mat this morning and the class began, I was instantly pleased. It was thick and longer than my previous cheapy mat and I could stretch out my 5’7’’ body on the mat and still have room above my head and below my feet.
My issues with the mat started as we began to work on the various poses, including downward dog. My hands started to slip forward. I repositioned them. They started slipping again.
This happened over and over until I got so irritated that I grabbed a mat from the yoga studio’s selection to use for the duration of the class.
After class I spoke with the instructor who also happened to own a Manduka mat. She said that a friend of hers experienced the same problem with his Manduka PROlite mat and she recommended that I clean it with tea tree oil to remove the film on the top of the mat. She also said I might want to look into using a towel on the mat as well.
All I can say is that a yoga mat that causes me to slip is no bueno. Hopefully the tea tree oil solution will work! The instructor said she would bring some for me to try out at the next class, so my hopes are high.
Breakfast
Since I was still quite warm by the time I arrived home from yoga, I didn’t want to make a hot breakfast and stuck with a cold yogurt bowl with lots of yummy toppings.
The base of the bowl was a cup of strawberry banana Greek yogurt that I topped with fresh raspberries, banana, chia seeds and Honey Nut Cheerios.
It was such an easy morning meal to put together, but all of the different flavors and textures resulted in one heck of a satisfying breakfast.
Perfect fuel to get the day started!
See ya after lunch!
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I have the same mat and the same problem! I was told it is supposed to stop after a while of use (I read if you use the mat everyday it shoud stop slipping in 2 weeks). I definitely don’t use mine everyday and I still slip on it a little and I’ve had it for a year and a half. I use a small towel that goes under my hands and it’s been fine!
I wear Gaiam yoga gloves because my hands get slippery and I slid all over the place.
yum! love all the textures in your breakfast! looks great
Slippery yoga mats are no fun… and DANGEROUS! I’d definitely suggest bringing a towel or something til you find the right mat for you. Good luck!!
The slipping happens at first. If you do hot yoga, get a towel. It really helps!
I hate slippery yoga mats! I’ve almost face planted in down dog. I’ve found that having my hands just a bit off the front of the mat helps. If its really bad, I just get off the mat. I’d rather have dirty hands than a broken face.
I LOVE my yogitoes towels for over my mat–seriously a life saver, even though they can be a bit spendy!
Wow Tea tree oil is a serious miracle worker. This is one out of a million uses for it, I’d be curious to know if it works for you! Tea Trea oil is especially amazing for any skin issue. It has healed severe eczema Ive had for the last 20 years that no dermatologist could figure out and countless steroid creams didn’t work. It also makes really grimy baking pans look like new! I’m convinced it’s magic 😉
I have a reasonably cheap yoga mat and my hands slip like crazy too, not just in hot yoga but in ALL yoga. I thought I just had really sweaty palms but perhaps part of it has to do with the mat. I’ll be interested to know if the tea tree oil trick works!
Your breakfasts make me hungry every time!! I love yoga! The mat thing is frustrating I’m sure! Tree oil is an amazing product! So many great uses!! Good luck!
clean the mat with a solution of water, salt, and vinegar a few times. That should help a bit. I have the same mat (even the same color) and after a month or so it’s gotten a lot less slippery, but I’d recommend bringing in a towel just in case, especially if you sweat a lot.
I have the same mat! my yoga instructor told me when i first bought it that before using it i should take it to the beach and rub sand over it to get rid of the seal that they coat it in that makes it slippery. i did and haven’t had a problem!
I actually just found this article: http://greatist.com/fitness/how-to-buy-yoga-mat/#
Made me think of this post!
I always put a towel over my yoga mat. I thought it was just because I was extra sweaty that I was slipping so I’m glad I’m not the only one! I hope yours stops slipping after you use the oil though. Side note- I can’t get enough of Honey Nut Cheerios. <3 Deelicious!
Hi Julie!
I had the same problem with my Manduka. I kept slipping so much that I gave up on it and switched to a $5 no name mat from the drug store. Then, a yoga teacher told me to run in through the washing machine a few times and let it hang to dry. Worked wonders, though it takes eons to dry out!
I had to wash it at my Mom’s as she has a grown-up sized washing machine and I’ve only got the wee condo version.
Chris
Hey Julie!
Wow I would think Tea Tree oil would just cause another oily film, but i’m definitely not an expert so who knows!
When I recently bought my new mat and found it to be too slippery, I gently took to it with some sand paper, it worked a treat!
It took away that resin stuff, and madeit slightly grippy! Although, my mat was not a fancy Manduka! 😉
There’s nothing more annoying than slipping in pose which you’re quite capable of doing it, and holding it.
So true about the break-in period! When I first got mine, I scrubbed mine with salt, wiped down with diluted tea tree oil (really just a cleaning agent) and nothing. So I just started practicing with it and put down a yogitoes towel when it got slippery and it gradually got stickier and stickier. I still need a towel since I’m a sweaty beast, but it’s fine for non-sweaty classes.
Since the prolite is a closed cell mat, oils from face and lotion tend to make the mat extra slippery. Even too much tea tree oil over time will do that, which just means it needs a thorough bathtub scrub with a drop of dish soap and a good rinse.
I had the same problem with my mat. I don’t know the make of my mat. I suggest getting a yogi toes towel. They have done wonders for me! If you don’t want to spend the extra money I suggest putting a towel over your mat! Happy yoga’ing! I heart yoga! Love your blog 🙂
Julie
I have a Manduka Pro–use a scrub brush and some water to rub the film off and you will be all good. I hardly ever use my yogitoes
An even better solution- get a woven mat. It’s what I use for this exact problem and just put it on top of a rubber mat so it doesn’t slip on the floor.
I would be afraid to use the oil just because what if it doesn’t come off all the way and then you slip more from the oil! Plus tea tree oil has a scent that not everyone likes…not saying you shouldn’t do it but just be forewarned! I had the same issue with my mat, but after a few months it was fine. I just use towels over it. So, if I were you, I’d use towels over the mat until the mat gets less slippery. 🙂
Manduka’s website and all reviews I’ve read said to scrub it with water and a cleaning brush to remove the film and it will work beautifully. I’ve only used my Manduka once since I bought it, but have to use a towel for hot yoga regardless because I get so super-sweaty. Good luck!
Yay, glad you got the PROlite and found such a good deal! There was a definite break-in period when I bought this mat. I read the Manduka website and the reviews to get ideas. One thing that helped was just using it and (it’s gross but) sweating on it! Sweating all over it during class and then giving it a good scrubbing after class with Manduka Mat Renew + a cloth worked pretty well for me.
I use a Manduka mat and love it! I typically go to hot yoga and end up sweating… a lot. Eventually I broke down a purchased a skid-less yoga towel from Target and it works great! It absorbs all the sweat, prevents me from slipping and can be thrown in the washing machine. There are some really expensive brands, such as yogitoes towels, that many of my friends swear by, but I cannot justify the price!!!
I have the same mat and I’d recommend doing a sea salt scrub and letting it sit in the sun to dry. I work at a yoga studio and we use tea tree oil to clean mats. I’m not sure if you’ve smelled/used it before, but it does have a strong smell! I’m not sure if that will help w/the film or not.
I have the Manduka Prolite and mine became less slippery after about 4 uses. I don’t do hot yoga but my palms get sweaty during more intense yoga sessions.
Yogitoe is the way to go! It prevents the slip and it is washable. After hot yoga I always throw my yogitoe in the wash. Definitely a great investment!
DO THIS!!
Hey Julie–
I’ve had my manduka for over a year and was hesitant at first to buy it because of people’s slippery claims.
Then I read a recommendation to use a little dish detergent mixed with warm water in a bowl and gently scrub the mat with a kitchen sponge (scrub/soft duo). Make sure to wipe it down completely with damp paper towels to get the soap off, then lay it out in the sun to dry. It will not hurt it a bit, and the mats are lifelong guaranteed.
Once it’s dried, it should feel much better.
Use a diluted tea tree oil spray to disinfect it every once in a while, since tea tree is a natural antibacterial oil.
😉
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I read all of these interesting comments and want to find out if and how you solved the problem of your slippery Manduka mat! (I just got one and was slipping even in my chilly, non-sweaty yoga class.) Any follow-up would be appreciated. 🙂
I’m here a little late, but I just came along this post, and I have to say, the mat by lululemon, which I just discovered for myself (and they make a large version) is awesome, I never slip even a little bit in down dog. My palms start to sweat by my second sun salutation, and this mat makes all the difference.
I’m also curious to hear if the tea tree oil cleaning help, I’ll dig around for a follow up post.
I love love loved lululemon’s The Mat… until it started giving me a horrible, itchy rash on my palms! I just bought a Manduka Black PRO and am having the same slipping issue. I’m scared to put it through my laundry machine, but it’s so slippery right now that it’s unusable! The yogitoes towels are fantastic if you’ve never used one. I got mine on Amazon for a few bucks less and free shipping 🙂
a little medium-fine grit sand paper run back and forth WIDTH-WISE does the trick perfectly. Only a few rough passes over any section you don’t want to slip is necessary. The idea is to leave some micro grooves to add traction, not to take a whole layer off. After this I wipe it down with 50/50 vinegar and water.
If you go on the manduka site under care and use it tells you to scrub the mat with sea salt. I would defiantly suggest a read through of that section!!
cheers.
New manduka mat owner!
Trying out the sea salt today! Will post how it works tonight.
I’ve tried the salt scrub several times on my new manduka pro mat (christmas gift). No luck. I’ve ground the rock salt into my mat so it become a fine powder. It is helpful until it wears off or you have an extra sweaty class. I’ve tried their stupid suggestion of moving your weight towards center to prevent slipping- smh! I wish I could jam this thing into the washing machine like my other cheap mats. Will be trying the sand paper.
As I do a lot of yoga I decided to treat myself to a Manduka Prolite…..BIG MISTAKE, I can’t use it as it is to slippery and have gone back to my cheapy which is thin but keeps me in downward dog. I did the salt rub but really it hasn’t made any difference. I have also tried the vinegar and water and the washing up liquid but as a last resort will try sandpaper. I wish I had read more reviews as I am very disappointed and these mats are not cheap.