Everybody sweats. It’s the body’s natural way to expel toxins from the body and regulate a sustainable body temperature. It’s also a sign of hard work, and hard work makes us feel great.
But while sweat might make us feel like we’re working hard, it not ideal when trying to hold a tricky pose on the mat. Sure enough, sweat is the one thing that even makes foundational poses like downward dog that little bit more difficult. It might also make us feel somewhat self-conscious.
Although sweating is an inevitability in hot yoga and Bikram practices, sweat itself shouldn’t make your practice any more challenging for you, and it definitely shouldn’t be something to hide away from others.
Here are a few things to consider when it comes to yoga and sweat, and how you can begin mitigating the risks associated with those pesky drips, and those consequent slips and slides.
1. Consider keeping a towel close
A yogi’s towel is one of the most important accessories of any practice. Having this nearby means you can wipe yourself down as you go and even fold it up and use it to help support you in tough poses.
A towel can also help protect your mat from dirt and grime, especially if you’re practising outside or in a communal space like the studio.
Good Housekeeping has an excellent article that breaks down the best yoga towels on the market right now. Check it out here.
2. Invest in the right mat
Slipping on your mat isn’t necessarily a problem with you and your sweat – it’s a problem with your mat. To counter this, invest in a mat that prides itself on its slip resistance.
From a sweat-drenched hot yoga class to a challenging Vinyasa flow, you need a mat that works in your favour instead of one that fights against you. Every Yogaline mat, for example, is made from PVC- and paraben-free materials and instead made from natural rubber with a biodegradable PU top surface. Whether wet or dry, it’s a mat with super strong grip that won’t let you down, but enough about us…
3. Safety first
Excessive sweating during yoga can be quite dangerous, especially in more dynamic poses. Ultimately, it increases the risk of slipping and therefore, it increases the risk of injury.
It’s common for yogis to use their towel to increase grip and reduce slipping to avoid injury, but with the right mat, you won’t have to rely on your towel to make sure you’re anchored in a pose. The right mat will prop you up without worry, sweat or no sweat.
4. If you’re self-conscious, wear dark or patterned clothing
It’s easy to feel a twinge of self-consciousness if you’re visibly sweating in front of others. For one reason or another, it’s not perceived as the sign of hard work it should be.
If sweating during a yoga practice makes you feel a little self-consciousness, that’s okay. To ease your woes, wear dark or patterned colours. This is the easiest way to hide any visible sweat marks and help you keep you mind clear of those negative thoughts and instead on what matters: a good yoga class.
Emit happiness through your sweat
According to 2015 research, there’s a certain odour in your sweat that indicates happiness. This scent is then detectable by others, stimulating a feeling of happiness in them as well.
With this said, we urge you to sweat it out during each and every yoga session. Who knows, maybe you’ll even make someone else’s day.
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