This is the Nike Yoga mat that I’m currently using. I’ve tried three different mats so far - a 4 mm “sticky” mat and a 6 mm studio mat from Iyogaprops.com.au, and most recently this little puppy, which I picked up at Rebel Sports.

I initially got a green one, but I handed that on to Zoe when one of the other students on the yoga teachers training course, Ann, gave me her grey one, which is a little more subdued color-wise. I gave Ann and her partner Russell, who is also on the yoga teacher journey, a copy of Bhagavad As It is - the rice paper one with everything that the deluxe edition has (minus the color plates) as well as a “index of verses quoted”.

The Nike mat is thinner than a 4 mm sticky mat, and doesn’t have as much cushioning. It is lighter and less bulky as a result. It is a sandwich construction with two layers, giving it two sides which are a darker and lighter tone, and have different grip characteristics. I found this mat to have superior grip over the sticky mat. My studio mat, which is too heavy to take anywhere (hence the name “studio mat”) has a comparable grip.

The Nike mat comes with its own carry string, which has a loop at each end with a toggle, which allows you to loosen or tighten the loop to hold the mat rolled up, and sling it over your shoulder.

Another feature of this mat is a stitched centerline, which you can dimly see in the picture below. With this stitched centerline, which is dark on the light side and light on the dark side, it makes it a lot easier to align standing postures. In wide stance poses such as Virabhadrasana, the warrior poses, it’s easy to align the forward and back feet along the mat using the centerline. In poses such as tadasana it makes it easy to align your feet parallel to something, and you can be certain that you’re centered on your mat in all poses.

I definitely recommend this mat.

Pros:

• Good grip
• Two different surfaces with varying grip
• Light and compact
• Comes with carry drawstring
• Centerline stitching for superior alignment
• Feeling of leetness and technological empowerment

Cons:

• Has a cool Nike logo on it, so all the more “spiritual” yoga hippies think you’re a sell-out.

Cost: AUD $26.00 - AUD $39.95 / USD $20.00 from Amazon