Do you ever think of the significance of your yoga mat? Of all that it endures, day in and day out,
as your partner in your practice?
Probably not. I started thinking
about it this morning when I walked into the room to discover my cat, who is
NOT declawed, lazily reclined on top of my mat in a solitary patch of sunlight
that was streaming through the window.
I’m not sure I’ve experienced that type of sheer terror before, and I
froze for a split second before letting out the shrillest “GET OFF!!!” I’ve ever
yelled. Alley, stubborn cat that she is,
isn’t one to follow directions but she knew I meant business and – thank
heavens – very gingerly padded off my mat and ran for the hills (er, stairs.) I was convinced I’d find scratch marks on my
precious, expensive mat but alas, it was as smooth and unharmed as I could’ve
hoped. *Insert sigh of relief here.*
I began thinking not only of the fact that I really don’t
have the money to replace said expensive mat, but that I really don’t WANT to
replace my mat with a shiny, unblemished new one. I’ve had my mat for less than a year but
relative to my yoga journey, she and I go way back. First, my mat is often my muse. It’s this serene bluish-greenish-seafoam
color that reminds me of sea glass, which reminds me of the beach. Particularly the beaches and communities
along 30-A in the Florida Panhandle, one of my favorite geographic locations on
the planet. So, no matter in what frame of
mind I come to my mat, I am always greeted with a beautiful sensory experience
that instantly transports me to a happy place – MY happy place.
Second, my mat is my confidante. As I sit on it at the beginning of practice
and lay on it at the end in savasana, I share with it thoughts and feelings,
hopes and dreams, fears and insecurities that I may not share with anyone
else. What thoughts transfer to the mat,
stay on the mat. Isn’t that the old
saying?
Third, my mat is my repository for negativity. Often times when I first come to the mat,
there are things bubbling around inside of me like stress, pressure, doubt,
impatience and anger. Throughout my
practice I am able to shed those things and they are absorbed by my mat, washed
away from me so that only goodness and positivity remain. It’s almost a magical quality of my mat – and
probably your mat, too.
It’s fascinating to me how I’ve become so attached to a
rectangular piece of polyurethane. My
purchase intention was merely to buy the cushiest, grippiest, no-slip mat out
there but my mat clearly has a strong grip on me. I’m happy to have it as my #1 partner in my
yoga teacher training journey, and I’m hoping we'll share many years together.
