Best mat for Ashtanga Yoga

Best mat for Ashtanga yoga

What is the Best mat for Ashtanga yoga practitioner?

The answer to the question depends on a couple of factories. It depends on:

  • Surface you practice on – wooden floor, solid rock or carpet
  • Temperature and Body heat
  • Location – where do you practice yoga

Answers to every question will give you more clarity which yoga mat or yoga rug should you choose for your yoga practice.

ashtanga yoga practice

Surface

When you practice in a room with a hard floor (wood, rock…) you might need some cushioning for your joints. Therefore, choosing a natural material such as a cork yoga mat could be the option for you. The mat will stay on the floor and won’t move during the practice.

On the other hand, most of us have carpets in our house. The best yoga mat in my personal opinion is a natural cotton yoga rug. You can place a yoga rug over the carpet at your home. You will get extra cushioning for your joints and benefit from practicing on the rug, mentioned in the article here.

Ashtanga primary series on cotton yoga mat

Temperature in yoga room

As mentioned in Ancient texts, yoga should be practiced in a clean room with ventilated air but not strong wind. Depends in which part of the world you are located, but the temperature plays a major role during the practice.

The temperature outside has an effect on our body temperature and that leads to our sweat factor. If we practice in a warmer room and accumulate more heat with the practice we might start sweating. When our palms and feet get wet, it’s way harder to ‘stick‘ to the mat itself. Water is not very friendly with yoga mats from materials like PVC. When this material gets wet – it’s slippery.

Since one of the priorities in Ashtanga practice is to create internal heat – sweating is very good! It’s beneficial for your muscles and body system to clean!

Most Ashtanga practitioners I know are using Cotton Yoga mat for their practice. Some of them use it during whole practice, some of them roll it out for the sitting sequence.

Cotton mat gives you extra cushioning but increases traction and strength in looms by 30%!
So, the more you sweat the more you stick. Instead of sliding on your mat, the yoga rug will hold you whenever necessary.

It is also very handy to maintain. After a couple of Yoga sessions, you simply put the yogarug into the washing machine and make it clean!

 

Primary series Ashtanga yoga on yoga rug

Location – Home or Studio?

Everyone lives in different conditions. Some of us practice at home, some of us visit yoga studios. Most of the yoga mats are heavy and bulky. It is good when you don’t need to commute so much or travel longer distances to work or yoga studio.

I personally don’t travel with my yoga mat. I have it at my house and on top of it I use a cotton yoga rug. No matter if I travel to visit my teacher in India or I go to Shala nearby. I love the fact that I fold and carry my cotton yoga rug with me.  Especially, that I know it’s always clean and I can always wash it. I make sure I practice on a clean surface.

travel yoga mat and yoga rug

So, what is the best mat for Ashtanga yoga?

In my personal honest opinion, the best thing you can do is to switch from yoga mat to yoga rug. It has so many benefits!

On top of it, it is the most traditional surface for yogis. It’s been here for centuries and proudly survived until these days. Keep up your practice, take care of it and yourself.

Love,
Martin 

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Massages

A full body Ayurvedic massage with warm herbal oils, slow enough to let the muscles soften and the mind actually settle, not just for the hour, but after it too.

Philosophy

A good massage does more than loosen tight muscles. It gives the nervous system a chance to actually stand down, something most people rarely allow themselves.

Every session uses warm herbal oils selected for the individual and the season, and moves slowly and deliberately rather than rushing through a routine. The aim isn't just physical relief, it's a state your body can carry with it after you leave the table.

What's included

Single session, 90 minutes
A full body Ayurvedic massage with warm herbal oils, a gentle focus on calming the nervous system, a few quiet minutes to rest before you leave, and a cup of tea or herbal drink afterward.

or

3 session bundle, 90 minutes each
The same full body Ayurvedic treatment, repeated across three sessions, so the body gets the chance to release tension step by step rather than in one attempt. Booking three together saves 11 euro per massage, 34 euro in total, compared to booking single sessions.

Why a bundle, not just one session
One session brings relief. Repeated sessions let the body relax more deeply each time, since the nervous system responds differently once it starts to trust that rest is coming again. If you're dealing with ongoing tension rather than a one off knot, the bundle is built for that.

Meet your practitioner

Monika has been practicing massage since 2019 and trained in Ayurvedic healing massage with Naga Kumar in Mysore, India, a training that focused as much on how emotions show up in the body as it did on technique.

She starts most sessions with a short conversation, since stress and tension tend to settle in predictable places, the shoulders, the back, the jaw, and understanding what's going on in someone's life helps her work with those patterns rather than around them. She also studied Past Life Therapy with the same teacher, which shapes how she approaches each session as a whole, looking at the physical, emotional, and energetic layers together.

Yoga has been part of her life for many years and gave her a strong foundation for understanding how the body stores and releases tension. She brings that awareness into every massage, so you leave not just relaxed, but more in tune with yourself than when you arrived.

Perfect for

Someone who feels stressed, tired, or overloaded. People who sit a lot, travel often, or carry tension in the body without quite noticing until it's there. Birthdays, holidays, thank you gifts, or simply because someone deserves it.

FAQ

Yes. Just include the recipient's name when you book, and Monika will send a personalised card with their name on it.

Yes, the bundle is intended for a single recipient across all three sessions.

The recipient books at their own pace, whenever suits them best.

Warm herbal oils are chosen individually, based on the person and the season, to support the whole system rather than a generic blend.

One session helps.
Three change something.

Consulting & Yoga Therapy

Wellbeing isn't a single appointment. It's a process, and we walk it with you.

Philosophy

Most people arrive at a consultation already knowing something is off. Low energy, disrupted sleep, digestion that never quite settles, tension that sits in the same place no matter what you try. What's usually missing isn't effort. It's a clear picture of what's actually happening, and a plan that fits your life instead of a generic one.

That's what a Leela consultation is built to give you. We start by listening properly, then map your Ayurvedic constitution and current imbalance, and turn that into something concrete you can follow, paired with treatment that supports the shift rather than just relaxing you for an afternoon.

What this workshop actually gives you

Initial Ayurvedic consultation and assessment
A full session covering your current health concerns, digestion, sleep, energy, and emotional balance, your daily routines and habits, and your Ayurvedic constitution alongside your present imbalance.

A personalised lifestyle and diet plan
Following your consultation, you receive a tailored program built around your dosha, including daily routine recommendations, a diet plan aligned with your imbalance, stress relief practices, and small lifestyle adjustments meant to hold over time, not just for a week.

Guided therapeutic treatment
Depending on the package, this includes a series of therapeutic massages such as Abhyanga, booked at your own pace to support and continue the shift the consultation starts.

How it works

You start with the consultation, either online or in person. From there you receive your personalised plan. Any included treatments get booked on your own schedule, ideally spaced out over four to six weeks for the strongest results. The aim isn't a single good session, it's a steady shift you can feel and sustain.

Who this is for

This is for you if you're feeling out of balance, stressed, or low on energy, want to start Ayurvedic healing in a structured way rather than guessing, are dealing with digestive issues, tension, or disrupted sleep, or simply want deep relaxation paired with guidance you can actually use afterward.

FAQ

Yes, the first Ayurvedic consultation and assessment is included at no cost as part of the process.

It depends on your plan, but a typical arc runs four to six weeks from your first consultation through your final treatment session.

No. The consultation is designed to explain your constitution and imbalance in plain terms, no prior knowledge needed.

Yes. While we recommend spacing them within four to six weeks for continuity, the exact timing is up to you.

Start with a real conversation.

Understand your body before you try to fix it.

Workshops

A structured, video based course in Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation, rooted in traditional Indian yoga, built so you can practice with real understanding instead of just following along.

Intro

A structured, video based course in Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation, rooted in traditional Indian yoga, built so you can practice with real understanding instead of just following along.

What this workshop actually gives you

  • A clear breakdown of each technique before you're asked to practice it, so you understand what you're doing and why
  • Guidance on how techniques combine, since Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation were never meant to be learned in isolation
  • A path for progressing once the basics are solid, not just a single fixed sequence
  • Every technique demonstrated on video, so you can watch, follow, and rewatch as needed
  • Enough grounding to practice independently, without needing a class to keep you accountable
  • Email support if something doesn't click and you need it explained differently

What's inside

12 video modules, over 2 hours of instruction
Taught directly by Martin and Monika, both trained in Indian yoga traditions, blending the theory behind each technique with how to actually practice it.

A companion eBook
A written summary of every technique for quick reference, plus a curated list of recommended books, documentaries, and films for anyone who wants to go deeper than the course itself.

Ongoing support
Questions don't stop when the course ends. Reach out by email any time something needs clearing up.

Why this course

Yoga content online is everywhere, and most of it has drifted a long way from where the practice actually started. This course doesn't try to reinvent anything. It distills what Martin and Monika learned through years of traditional training into a format you can actually get through, no padding, no filler modules, just the techniques and how to use them.

FAQ

No. The course is built to take you from the basics through to independent practice, one technique at a time.

Self paced. All 12 modules are video based, so you move through the material on your own schedule.

Email support is included. If something in a module isn't clear, you can reach out directly.

A working understanding of Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation you can practice on your own, plus the eBook as a permanent reference.

Learn it properly, once.

The techniques. The context. The way they were meant to be taught.

Trips

Leela Trips are immersive journeys built around Ayurveda, yoga, and time away from everything that keeps your body on alert. Small groups. Real guidance. Nothing rushed.

Philosophy

Leela Trips are immersive journeys built around Ayurveda, yoga, and time away from everything that keeps your body on alert. Small groups. Real guidance. Nothing rushed.

We build every journey around one simple idea. The body already knows how to rest, digest, and heal. It just rarely gets the conditions to do it. So we remove the noise, the schedule, the constant choosing, and replace it with structure that supports your nervous system instead of taxing it.

That means smaller groups than you would expect, real Ayurvedic practitioners instead of a spa menu, and enough unscheduled time to actually feel the difference.

How a Leela trip is structured

Every trip follows the same underlying rhythm, even when the destination changes.

Part one, healing
The first stretch of the journey is built around Ayurvedic treatment. Daily consultations, herbal therapies, gentle movement, and a diet designed to support digestion and detoxification rather than restrict it. This is the part where the body starts to soften and the nervous system gets permission to switch off.

Part two, integration
From there, the trip moves toward simplicity. Yoga practice, breathwork, walks, workshops, and evenings that end early instead of late. Less doing, more noticing. This is where what you learned in part one starts to settle into something you can actually take home.

Our upcoming journey to Nepal follows exactly this shape, five days at a traditional Ayurvedic clinic near Kathmandu, followed by a stretch of mountain living near Pokhara.

Book free consultation

Who guides you

Leela trips are led personally, not handed off to a local operator once you land.

Monika's path into yoga and Ayurveda began in a traditional Yoga Gurukula in India, where living alongside her teachers shaped how she understands the practice, not just as movement, but as a way of living. Her training since then has covered Ashtanga yoga, Yoga and Ayurveda therapy, Ayurvedic massage in Mysore, and cleansing techniques studied across Nepal and India.

That background shapes every trip. Treatments are chosen with intention, the pace respects where your body actually is, and nothing on the itinerary is there just to fill a day.

Book free consultation

What to expect

Small groups, usually no more than around eight people, so the experience stays personal rather than logistical. Private or shared rooms, all meals prepared with digestion in mind, daily Ayurvedic treatment during the healing stretch of the trip, and daily yoga and meditation throughout. Full guidance from Monika from arrival to departure. Space to rest, journal, or simply do nothing, built into the schedule rather than squeezed around it.

FAQ

Expect two distinct phases. The first is treatment heavy, herbal therapies, oil massage, and gentle movement. The second is more active, with daily yoga and longer walks. Both beginners and experienced practitioners are welcomed at their own pace.

No. Trips are designed around where your body is now, not a fitness level you need to arrive with.

Groups stay small, generally no more than around eight, so the guidance stays personal rather than diluted across a crowd.

International flights, visas, travel insurance, and any personal purchases beyond the trip itself.

Deposits secure your place in a very limited group and are non refundable, since spots that open up are hard to fill on short notice. Full policy details are shared once you book.

Some resets need more than a weekend

Explore our upcoming journeys, or talk to us first if you are not sure which one fits.