On The Same Time Zone

Category: Everyday Life and Thoughts

How I live and what I think

About Yoga Mats
To practise yoga, you really do not need anything else but the willingness to be present in the now and the yoga mat as we know it is a rather new Western invention. However it can bring a new aspect to the practise by creating a space for your meditation and adding cushioning and stability for the asana.
These days there is a wide range of mats available, and the price range can be big. Therefore I decided to write about the mats I have used in my practise so far. The things I took into consideration are their grip (or slippiness), general durability, weight (important to those who travel or carry the mats with them a lot), cushioning and eco-friendliness. All my mats have measured more or less 185 x 61 centimetres although there are longer and wider mats available too.
The Basic Mat
What I call the Basic Mat is the mat that is the usually the cheapest one you can find. They all have more or less the same specs: Made of PVC (sometimes EVA, which is a lighter material), 2-5 millimetres thick and usually having a foamy ”grid” type of surface. You might want to buy the basic mat if you are new to yoga and not sure yet how much you can to commit to it. On the plus side these type of mats usually offer reasonable cushioning (if you have sore knees for example, go for a thicker mat) and they are easy to clean as both PVC and EVA are waterproof materials. At the same time they not the most durable ones, and tend to start shedding small pieces of plastic with the friction/elements the more you use them. They can also get slippy quite easily, especially if go to sweaty classes.
The Basic Mat. You see what I mean with the “grid”? The green one is from Lidl, the blue one I do not know. I call it the generic mat.
The price of the basic mat ranges usually from 10 to 30 euros, depending where you buy it and if it has some kind of brand label attached to it. I do not diss the basic mat as it will get you started just fine. If and when you have decided to commit to yoga more, here are some other mats I have used:
Drop of Mindfulness
DoM is a Swedish brand that making active wear suitable for yoga and also yoga mats. Unfortunately at the time of writing this text their website is under construction for Winter 2016 so I cannot tell if they still stock the mat I bought 4-5 years ago. This mat has however served me very well; it felt very grippy and sticky straight from the start and has kept these qualities to this day. The mat is on the thinner side (I’d guess 2-3 millimetres) so extra cushioning is sometimes needed for knees. The weight is reasonable at around 2 kilos. I recall reading that the mat is made of natural rubber but this needs to be confirmed once the website is out again, together with the retail price.
“My Drop of Mindfulness mat. MINE!”
MandukaEKO
Manduka has a great reputation among yogis and they have several types of mats to choose from. I have the MandukaEKO (5 mm thick) which is extremely sturdy. When I stepped onto this mat after having used the DoP for years the difference was big: I need no extra cushioning needed for this mat and it does not fly away in the wind either (yes this can be an issue when teaching outside, hehe.) I have two cons for this mat though: It is heavy (over 3kg) so even if you travel with a proper suitcase, it does take a lot from the luggage allowance and it is definitely not a hand luggage item. The other thing is that it can get a little slippery, especially in sweaty conditions. The Manduka website says that this means the mat is not ”broken into” properly but I did not notice this in the beginning so not sure where the reason for this is. Nevertheless, this is a good mat and ecological choice as it is made of natural rubber with a zero waste manufacturing process. It is also 99% latex free.
The MandukaEKO is the blue one at the bottom, notice the different texture. The purple one is the JadeHarmony and the green is JadeVoyager. The yoga blocks are just blocks although I could say few things about those too… Maybe later.
Jade Yoga Mats
JadeVoyager is my latest mat. I bought it from the MindBodySpirit festival in Nicosia last weekend. I’d been looking for a travel mat for myself for ages (airline luggage restrictions again!) Also my mum had sent me a photo of an ecomat she had seen in a magazine with the comment ”they don’t tell where I can buy one!” When I bumped into the lovely ladies from the Simply Green shop in Athens and saw the JadeYoga mats it they had it was a no brainer. I got the JadeVoyager for myself: you can fold it (rather than roll, although this is preferable for maintenance) and it weights just over half a kilo. With this weight it obviously has got no cushioning but it can definitely keep your practise going on when traveling. Orm you can use it over another, less grippy mat. For my Mum I got the JadeHarmony (Merry Christmas Mum, thanks for the gift tip!) which is about the same thickness than the MandukaEko. From the first touch it feels a bit softer and a lot more stickier. This can also be due to the open cell natural rubber JadeMats use (Manduka uses closed cell natural rubber) which translates as more grip, these ones will be put to test to find out more! The JadeYoga company also has a very eco-concious production cycle and they plant a tree (over one million so far!) for every mat sold.

From left to right: JadeHarmony, JadeVoyager,MandukaEko (mine is dark blue, you see the bottom side), Drop of Mindfulness and a Basic Mat in Blue.
When talking to fellow yogis and reading reviews the JadeMats are always rated on the top with Manduka ones. They both have very similar retail prices ranging from 40 (the travel mat) to 92 (the pro and extra long mats) euros so ultimately it is up to personal preference between these two.
Now, over to you: What is your favourite yoga mat?
PS: If you want to read more about the history of the yoga mat check out this Yoga Journal article.

November 18, 2016
Remember These // Muista nämä
In our lifes, we all have the right for the following:
1. The right to be treated with respect
2. The right to say “no” and not feel guilty
3. The right to experience and express our feelings
4. The right to take time to slow down and think
5. The right to change our minds
6. The right to ask what we want
7. The right to do less than we are humanly capable of
8. The right to ask for information
9. The right to correct mistakes
10. The right to feel good about ourselves
Meillä kaikilla on tässä elämässä oikeus seuraaviin asioihin:
1. Oikeus tulla kohdelluksi kunniottavasti
2. Oikeus sanoa “ei” ja olla tuntematta siitä syyllisyyttä
3. Oikeus kokea ja ilmaista tunteitamme
4. Oikeus ottaa aikaa, hidastaa tahtia ja miettiä
5. Oikeus muuttaa mieltämme
6. Oikeus pyytää mitä haluamme
7. Oikeus tehdä vähemmän kuin mihin inhimillisesti voisimme pystyä
8. Oikeus pyytää tietoa
9. Oikeus korjata virheitä
10. Oikeus hyvänolon tunteeseen
November 16, 2016
Yoga Instructor’s Back Office
In few pictures and words things that happen when planning and preparing for a yoga class.
Muutama sana ja kuva siitä, mitä tapahtuu ennen joogatuntia.
I wash the yoga mats used. I use very mild soap (Ecover or similar) diluted in a lot of water. Otherwise you can end up with a slippery mat which we do not want (cue literal faceplant.) After the wash and rinse with plenty of water I spray the mats with a mix of tea tree oil (antibacterial) and lavender oil (calming), again diluted in a lot of water, and leave them out to dry.
Mattopesu! Pesen matot hyvin miedolla luontoystävällisellä saippualla (en kuitenkaan mäntysuovalla) ja runsaalla vedellä. Mattoihin jää helposti saippuanjäämiä jotka tekevät niistä liukkaita ja se ei ole tietenkään hyvä asia. Kun olen huudellut matot runsaalla vedellä suihkutan niihin vielä teepuu- ja laventeliöljysekoitusta, taas runsaalla vedellä jatkettuna. Teepuu on antibakteriaalinen ja laventeli rauhoittaa. Epäilyistäni huolimatta nämä kaksi öljyä myös sopivat yhteen hajuiltansa.
Continous learning. It is often said yoga is 1% theory and 99% practise but I do love magazines and to learn what is out there and how other people are doing it. From these ones I picked up some good modifications for some of the regular poses I use that I put to practise in yesterday’s class. The Yoga Magazine had also some adds for UK based websites that sell yoga clothes made from sustainable materials, such as recycled polyester and bamboo. I pinned some of my favourites on my Pinterest account as I really do not need to buy anything at this moment.
Jatkuva koulutus. Usein kuulee että jooga on 1% teoriaa ja 99% käytäntöä. Rakastan kuitenkin lehtien lukemista (ne kirjat onkin sitten vaikeampi asia) ja näistä lehdistä sain hyviä vinkkejä kuinka muuntaa tiettyjä asanoita joita käytän melkein joka tunnilla. Pistin nämä opit heti käyttöön eilisaamun joogassa. Yoga Magazinessä oli myös mainoksia Englantilaisista nettikaupoista joissa myydään ekologisista materiaaleista, kuten kierretystä polyesterista ja bamboosta, valmistettuja jooga- ja vapaa-ajan vaatteita. Koska en tarvitse tällä hetkellä kuitenkaan yhtä ainutta vaatekappaletta, tyydyin tallentamaan suosikkejani pinterest-tililleni.
Setting up the class. This is Cyprus and 9 am is not exactly the same 9 am as it is in the Northern Europe. Which is just as well as I always have time to prepare the mats and blocks so all people have to do is to show up and start clearing the mind.
Matot ja blokit paikoilleen. Saarella aamu-yhdeksän ei ole ihan sama käsite kuin Pohjois-Euroopassa joten järjestelyihin ja kuulumisten vaihtoon on aina aikaa. Kaikkialla.
And then we start.
Ja sitten itse asiaan.
October 23, 2016
Yoga Tourist in London / Joogaturismia Lontoossa
I’ve been spending the last few days in London, making the most of the yoga classes the City has to offer. My goal was to try different classes and get inspiration from different teachers.
Olen viettänyt pari viimeistä päivää Lontoossa. Muiden asioiden hoitamisen lisäksi suunnitelmani on ollut käydä erilaisilla joogatunneilla ja inspiroitua erilaisita opettajista ja heidän tyyleistään.
A friend and a fellow yoga teacher in Cyprus recommended TriYoga so that has been my first stop. I LOVE their Camden location (there are 3 other locations in the city) which has a relaxed and complitely non-pretentous vibe in it. Even more, it has four or five yoga studios and a ton of classes to choose from. My first stop after five hour flight was “Restore and Relax” community class during which we did not stand up once. Perfect!
TriYogan tunteja suositeltiin minulle joten suuntasin suoraan lentokentältä heidän Camdenissä olevan studion tiloihin (TriYogalla on kolme muuta studiota eri puolilla Lontoota.) “Relax and Restore”-tunti oli juuri oikea viiden tunnin lennon jälkeen! Tunnilla ei noustu kertaakaan seisomaan vaan kaikki liikkeet tehtiin lattialla maaten.
The next day I tried out Jivamukti. I have been curious about the system but had not had an opportunity to try it out later. The teacher came recommended so 7:45 morning class it was! I really enjoyed it, we started off with 7 minutes of breathwork, followed by some chanting and a physical practise. The sequence was pretty intense for the morning but I got some hands on adjustments that I found good. The instructor also played drum’n’base during the asana practise and savasana which was a nice a chance to what I have been used to lately.
Seuraavana aamuna menin 7:45 alkavalle Jivamukti-joogatunnille. En ollut aiemmin kokeillut tämän suuntauksen joogaa joten olin innoissani uudesta kokemuksesta. Tunti alkoi 7 minuutin hengitysharjoituksilla jota seurasi mantran laulu. Itse asana-harjoitus oli intesiivinen varsinkin tuohon aikaan aamulla mutta erittäin hyvä. Opettaja kiersi luokassa ja paransi linjauksia tarpeen mukaan. Taustalla soi drum’n’base musiikki josta pidin myös. En yleensä käy tunneilla joilla on musiikkia (enkä sitä kyllä oikein kaipaakaan) joten tämä oli mukavaa vaihtelua.
Yoga dogs chilling // Jooga-koirat ottamassa rennosti
I have also been observing few pregnancy yoga classes as this is a part of my ante natal yoga teacher training. Both teachers I contacted welcomed me with open arms to join in the class, much appreciated. The second class I attended was in this cute boutique gallery that runs different yoga classes also in the weekends.
Olen myös ollut seuraamassa muutamaa raskausajan joogatuntia joka kuuluu omaan antenatal-joogaopettajakoulutukseen. Opettajat joihin otin yhteyttä toivottivat minut kummatkin lämpimästi tervetulleeksi, on aina mukava saada positiivisia vastauksia pyyntöihinsä. Toinen tunneista pidettiin pienessä kauppa-galleriassa jossa on useita erilaisia joogatunteja iltaisin.
…and tomorrow there will be another new yoga class!
…ja huomenna vielä uudelle joogatunnille!
October 12, 2016
Last Few Days in Pictures
Over the last weekend I attended a course on yoga for pregnancy and birth. It was so interesting and I learned a lot that I can incorporate even to non-pregnancy classes. 9 hour study days meant that everything else was left aside though so now I am catching up with everything.
Viime viikonloppuna osallistuin raskausajan jooga-kursille. Kurssia oltiin kehuttu minulle ja oikein hyvä se olikin. Sain 9 tunnin kurssipäivistä paljon ideoita joita voi käyttää myös ei-raskausajan joogatunneilla. Kaikki muut asiat ovatkin sitten viime päivinä jääneet taka-alalle, tietokoneen laturikin tilttasi ja uutta odotellaan… Onneksi aina voi siivota ja pyykätä.
Morning stretch // Aamuvenyttely

My breakfast of almost every morning: frozen berries, squeezed grapefruit, fibre powder that also contains vegan (rice?) protein and organic ginger powder (fresh ginger is also good, it keeps well in the freezer.)
Melkein joka aamuinen aamupala pakastinmarjoista, puserretusta greipistä, kuitusekoituksesta jossa on myös vegaaniproteiinia (riisi?) ja jauhetusta inkivääristä (tuoretta inkivääriä voi tietenkin myös käyttää, se säilyy hyvin pakastimessa.)
Some new books… That Iyengar book had some pretty ambitious pictures though.
Uusia kirjoja… Iyengar-kirjan kuvat yllättivät haastavuudellaan.
Sunset at home…
Illaksi kotiin auringonlaskua katsomaan…
…and a class of wine with friends.
…ja lasi viiniä.

The dogs demonstrating deep state of relaxation.
Koirat syvärentoutuneina.
Photo by Heidi Marttinen
Tallenna
Tallenna
September 27, 2016