yoga without a mat

Yoga Without a Mat: The Pros and Cons

Published on February 15, 2021

Ever been impinged by your yoga mat? Maybe during class you moved from a high lunge to a standing forward fold and your foot placement wasn’t exact causing your sticky mat to bunch up underneath. Or, worse still, your mat smells funky from that hot class you took a few days ago and you get an odorous whiff every time you inhale in Child’s pose. A small but passionate set of yogis have just the solution. They say, “No more!” to yoga mats and are tossing them aside.

Can you do yoga without a mat?

Yes, you certainly can! But before you try you should understand the pros and cons of not using one. Your choice will also depend on the type of yoga you practice and your needs for padding, space, hygiene and eco-friendliness.

“The ecstasy of yoga can’t be contained by a mat,” said Dana Flynn, a director of Laughing Lotus, a studio in New York and San Francisco. Many yoga teachers in her studios encourage yoga students to practice without a mat, especially on a wood floor. But there’s more to it. It seems there’s an underlying feeling that the mat is seen as a status symbol and a way to mark your territory to these particular yoga practitioners. It’s also viewed as unhygienic and bad for the environment.

Who can argue with that? Most mats are made of a synthetic plastic-type product and while more and more “green” mats are being made available, the cost of producing and shipping the mats has some impact on the environment. And, using studio mats after other people have used them always seems a little germy, even though any reputable yoga studio will let you know the mats are cleaned between classes.

Practicing without a yoga mat

But have you ever practiced without a mat? It’s a bit strange. What if you show up with no mat and the floor is dirty? Yuck.

yoga pose without mat

There is a certain comfort level to being on your mat in your own personal space. It’s a rectangular area of space that is all yours, which is nice in an environment where space is minimal and class attendance is high. The mat is a boundary, a sort of marker, to your neighbor that can be crossed, but there is an unspoken understanding it’s by invitation only or sometimes, by accident, if space is tight. So, there is a bit of a territorial feel but I’m not so sure that is a bad thing. I don’t know about you, but sometimes that little bit of mat cushion is welcome, like when I’m in certain yoga poses such as Downward Dog or any time I’m going for a forearm balance.

I can get on board with the “idea” of practicing without a mat, especially when I hear it put like this by Alex Schatzberg of Yoga Vida, a studio in Greenwich Village. “The idea of practicing without a mat is idyllic in that the yoga practice in its essence requires nothing at all except your body.”

Yes, I agree…totally…at home, on my clean floor, by myself, in my own practice.

I have to admit, though, I have discovered through teaching at outdoor yoga events and in classes at a park, it’s often easier to trade the mat in for a big blanket or toss it aside completely than it is to try to use it. There’s a sense of freedom that comes from being outside doing yoga and a synthetic mat with some stickiness simply doesn’t fit. Plus, if the ground is even a little bit uneven, the mat tends to bunch up and protrude in odd places.

No mat benefits

  • More flexibility to practice anywhere
  • Does not confine your movements to a rectangle
  • More environmentally responsible
  • Save money on yoga mat purchases
  • Connects you with nature if you practice on grass or sand
  • Frees up storage space
  • Less worry

No mat downsides

  • Need to adjust or change practice if on hard or slippery floor
  • Can increase chance of injury or soreness
  • Less protection from germs
  • Lack of guidelines for foot and hand placement
  • Lack of defined personal space

Yoga styles that don’t require mats

There are several specialized styles that do not use any mats. If you are curious to try a mat-free practice, these can be a great place to experiment and explore. Bed yoga, paddleboard yoga, acro-yoga and aerial yoga are all taught without a mat.

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11 responses to “Yoga Without a Mat: The Pros and Cons”

  1. reejean Avatar
    reejean

    I agree, I love yoga much better of the Mat!

  2. 78a78b Avatar
    78a78b

    ya i think they r okay.

  3. susanrobinson Avatar
    susanrobinson

    In the gym group exercise room, definitely use a mat. But outside it depends on the surface. On a deck, I use an Indian blanket under my mat. On the sandy beach I use a beach towel. In the grass, no mat:)

  4. deniel_manakini Avatar
    deniel_manakini

    I think that yoga practice without a mat is closer to ancient traditions, to use only your body and nothing more.

  5. billieyogini Avatar
    billieyogini

    I like using my sheepskin! It gives you padding when you’re on your knees or sitting for meditation. Although I must say that having a mat to stop you slipping can be very handy.

  6. justbeginning Avatar
    justbeginning

    having not done yoga very long, it does give me some comfort and confidence to have my soft blue rectangle always there under me, but i definately see why some do not need one

  7. sarsh Avatar
    sarsh

    Roll on summer,doing yoga in the mud or on an icy cold floor is not the best way to do a practice! I’ve been hunting for a bulk load of mats for my classes but I don’t have much funds, I’d much sooner have natural fibre mats/eco friendly & not containing metal.Can I find any though!I’m sure I’ll get what is needed in the end.If we can astral project I’m sure we can do our yoga practices well no matter what material we are standing on.

  8. Rachel Avatar
    Rachel

    Hi! I have been practicing yoga without a mat for a couple of months now… you know, when hunger for the practice meets an empty wallet…you find yourself on the floor and, that is that! I love this article and I totally agree that mats are probably not the most ‘yogaesque’ option for practicing but, my knees and ribcage beg to differ. So I was roaming the net to find tips on how to practice without a mat. There are some I just cannot get into with the uncomfortable reminder of hardwood floors. Ouch. Help! I want to keep flowing and sinking into my practice but, I need some padding.. something! Tips would be lovely, thanks!

  9. Mike Scott Avatar
    Mike Scott

    I started practising without a mat and found it perfectly fine using the rug in my lounge. However I felt inspired when I received my first mat and started pushing myself and as a result started to improve very quickly. I’m very inspired by the idea of outdoor yoga and wouldn’t consider a mat for that… I’d prefer to feel the grass or ground beneath me. Also cuz I’m quite bony the extra cushioning helps me stay comfortable in the postures

  10. Yoga Girl Avatar
    Yoga Girl

    I actually wouldn´t feel that comfortable tossing away my yoga mat, while in an unfamiliar space. Like you mentioned, the rectangular are is ´your´ space, a space to feel safe, at least when you start out in a new area. Thanks for the write-up, I enjoyed reading this fresh angle.

  11. marty Avatar
    marty

    stopped using mats years ago. Not necessary. Except if you want to protect yourself when travelling… I use one when Indonesia whilst outside.

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Laura Powell Avatar
About the author
Laura Powell was introduced to yoga at the PranaVida Yoga Studio in Orlando, FL, in 2001 and has been studying yoga ever since. She began her study with Ravi Singh and, after trying many teachers and styles in the yoga cornucopia that is New York City, gravitated to the classes of Sharon Gannon and David Life of Jivamukti whom she considers to be her primary influences. Inspired by her students and yoga masters B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar, Gary Kraftsow, Godfrey Devereaux, and Donna Farhi, she emphasizes safety and proper alignment, building awareness of the body so that time, effort and the breath can bring about the many potential benefits of yoga. Laura is committed to her self-study and daily yoga practice, along with attending regular workshops with Kofi Busia and other senior teachers.
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