Letting Go… How to Re-purpose Your Yoga Mat

Letting Go… How to ease the pain of replacing your Yoga Mat

Admittedly, letting go of your old Yoga mat can be hard to do. Chances are you and your mat have bonded over countless classes, breathes and downward dogs. However, there comes a time when your once shiny new mat is not so fresh and ready to be replaced.

Unfortunately many Yoga mats are are still made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) one of the more toxic plastics.  Some mats are made from Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) which is a more environmentally friendly than PVC, but still unable to breakdown. PVC and TPE are not biodegradable, if your mat is made of these materials it will be lying in landfill with no intention of letting go.

When choosing a new mat please consider purchasing a natural rubber, jute or cotton mat. These mats will be kind to you and kind to the environment.

To help reduce the guilt of moving on to greener pastures, here are some tips for repurposing your old mat to make way for your new Yoga mat.

How to Re-purpose/Recycle Your Yoga Mat

1. Floor protectors to avoid scratching of furniture legs.

2. Knee pads for gardening, when bathing kids or as extra cushioning when on the knees in class.

3. Padding under your sleeping bag when camping or hiking.

4. Mouse pad

5. Laptop or I-pad case (you will need to get a slitting crafty for this one).

6. Jar opener

7. Drying tray for you dishes

8. Surf board protector for storage

Basically anywhere that needs a soft surface to reduce damage, provide some moisture absorption, and give grip!

Keep Your Eye on This Space.

Mukti mats are currently in the process of creating a recycling option for your old mats. We will be collecting your old mats to re-gift to local centres such as Women’s Refuges, Men’s Shelter’s, Youth services and any other community groups that require mats for yoga and meditation classes.