Slippery when wet.

[Guest guest]

Hello everybody!<br><br> I have a problem with my

new month-old mat. The mat is called a "Bambino" mat

and it has a smooth surface on the other side and a

kind of nubbly surface on the other. I have used the

smooth side up.<br> The mat is quite sticky when I begin

my sun salutations, but as soon as my palms start to

sweat the surface becomes very slippery, so that it is

almost impossible to do the asanas without a towel under

my hands. <br> My yoga teacher adviced me to wash

and scrub the mat with a washing agent. I have tried

washing even with a really strong washing agent intended

for tiled walls and so on, but nothing seems to help.

I'm becoming quite desperate because this problem is

making my yoga practice really difficult ( I used to

have a non-slippery mat but it wore off really fast

).<br> I read a few of the first messages ever sent here

and there was a lot stuff about mats, but I couldn't

really find anything helpful as I already have a mat

that's slippery..<br> If anybody has (had) a same kind

of problem or helpful hints, I'd really appriciate,

thank you!<br> <br> -Inermis-

[Guest guest]

I've had the same problem with all the mats I've

tried. What I've found works best is to place a woven

cotton "rag" rug on top of the sticky mat. You can find

them at some yoga supply companies like this one

<a href=http://www.barefootyoga.com/index.html,

target=new>http://www.barefootyoga.com/index.html,</a> but I found one at a

discount home decor store

for much cheaper, and it works great. The cotton will

absorb your sweat and actually becomes a better surface

the more moist it gets. I also like the feel of a

natural fiber beneath me much better than that of the

synthetic sticky mat surface. Of course, you need to be

sure to wash it regularly, especially if you practice

upwind of others.