5 Reasons Why You Should Draw on Your Yoga Mat
Guest blog post by Maria Metea from DIYogi which is a brand of eco-friendly yoga mats that people of all artistic abilities can personalise at home by writing and drawing on them. This product connects both yoga as well as drawing (a proven de-stressor), allowing each person to customise their yoga mats with their favourite quotes, positive affirmations or patterns that would inspire them in their practice.
You know when you’re in this wobbly, difficult pose in your yoga class, feeling you’re going to lose balance in a few seconds? But then you focus your vision on one tiny point in front of you to calm your mind and – switch! - you’ve entered a whole new mental state of stillness and mindfulness that channels your focus inwards. It is in this state of mind that it is possible for your body to achieve more than it did when you had all the thoughts roaming in your head. Think about it – all this new-found concentration came from focusing on that little still point in front of you.
But what if you could draw that point yourself, straight on your yoga mat? What if, instead of just a small point, you’d have the freedom to decorate your yoga mat with anything that would inspire you during your practice – perhaps a motivational quote, some favourite lyrics, a mandala or a positive affirmation?
Both yoga and drawing work wonders when it comes to deepening your focus inwards and clearing your mind, and now luckily there is a yoga mat out there, DIYogi to combine both of them. The DIYogi mats are yoga mats you can write and draw on using markers, and they come with yoga-themed drawing stencils to help you do just that.
If you need more reasons before you start personalising your yoga mat, here are a few to help you take the leap!
Having a personalised yoga mat helps you be more focused while you practice
During yoga, most of your visual space is taken up by your yoga mat – just think of what you see during those plank poses, warrior 3’s, standing splits and crow poses. With each practice you get to know your yoga mat even more and you get to love every little one of its creases and micro patterns, even the small defects or scratches. If you personalise your yoga mat yourself by drawing or writing on it you control what’s in your sight during practice and you make sure that what you see is exactly something that gets you inspired and relaxed. What would speak to you more during practice? Mandalas to calm your mind? An intention that you’ve written down so that you see it all the time when you practice? A quote to keep you inspired? There is just no limit to the possibilities.
2. You can draw on your yoga mat as a form of active meditation
Drawing helps deepen your focus on the present moment and acts as a powerful de-stressor. Why not view the time you take to draw on your DIYogi mat as an opportunity for active meditation? Light some candles, play relaxing music and be prepared to relax by doodling directly on your workout space – you may even find that drawing on your yoga mat will turn into a mini yoga practice in itself!
3. There are too many basic mats in the world!
Looking around a yoga studio there are simply too many people who don’t realise that the body-sized rectangle they’ve been practicing on is in fact a blank canvas waiting to be decorated with wonderful patterns and inspiring words. Sure, there’s always the option of buying a mat with an interesting design, but making your own drawings definitely accounts for a 100% bespoke yoga experience. If you’re reluctant to stand out from the rest, perhaps even a small quote written on one of the corners of the mat will make you feel a more personal connection to your practice space.
4. You can draw your own alignment lines
It may be a good idea to draw on some alignment cues straight on your yoga mat. For example, these lines can show you in which spot to place your palms during plank poses so that your shoulders are aligned and your hands a shoulder-width apart. A line cutting through the middle of the mat may also help correct your position if you have the tendency to lean more on one side. Your body is unique – so here’s an opportunity to draw alignment lines that are bespoke to you directly on your yoga mat. Plus – you can integrate them into a cool drawing to make sure that your mat doesn’t look too ‘technical’!
5. A personalised yoga mat can be the perfect gift to a yoga lover
A yoga mat that you have written or drawn on yourself can be the perfect gift for the yogis in your life. You can get multiple people to contribute as well – the person you gift this to will have a permanent reminder of your appreciation straight under their eyes, each time they exercise. For instance, if you have a favourite yoga teacher, it may be a good idea to gift them a yoga mat that all the students can write a nice message on.