Blanket Use- Confused

[Guest guest]

It seems that blankets, instead of mats, are used

in Mysore. I prefer the blankets, it absorbs sweat.

However, I have been told by one school in my area that

you must only use the mat...is this true? At another

school the floor is carpeted, is just a blanket

appropriate? If not, is a blanket with a mat underneath

appropriate?<br><br>Thanks.

[Guest guest]

<< ...I have been told by one school in my

area that you must only use the mat...is this true?

>><br><br>I'm afraid it's wrong. Of course, it should be up to

you to decide what surface you practise on, be it a

mat, a rug or both.<br><br>I myself prefer practising

on a Mysore-style rug spread over a mat, especially

in summer, when I sweat a lot. Also,this way the mat

underneath the rug doesn't wear off so easily. On the whole,

using a practice rug is both more hygienic & more

ecologically sound.

[Guest guest]

i think whatever one wishes to practice on ought

to be a matter of personal choice. perhaps a school

prohibiting blankets does so because they take up more floor

space. as a kid i learned on a bare wood floor. this was

many years before the advent of the acrylic sticky

mat. good for the development of pratyahara.

[Guest guest]

Some will use a blanket over the mat through the

entire series, but most will put down the blanket only

when sweat starts falling on the mat. One reason for

this is that standing postures are more easily done on

a sticky mat than on a blanket.