Yoga Mat Found To Be Essential In Mindfulness Meditation

Now Athletics, LLC, a business in Providence, RI, wants to highlight that, as a discipline, yoga is a mindfulness practice, whereby the mental component is more important than the physical one, something that has to be remembered by anyone who steps onto a yoga mat. The company points out that the Buddha taught mindfulness, which is defined as 'a mental state achieved by focusing on one's awareness of the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique'. Now Athletics explains that their yoga mat, available through www.nowathletics.net, is suitable for such kind of meditation.

"Yoga is a form of meditation rather than a physical practice," says Per Davidson from Now Athletics, LLC. "Yoga postures are designed to help quiet down the chatter of the mind, although practitioners do have to make a conscious effort to maintain a meditative state of equanimity, which makes a really big difference. Our yoga mat has been designed to facilitate this, providing comfort and enabling people to ground themselves, without them actually feeling like they are on a mat."

Mindfulness was popularized in the 1960s by Ram Das through his book 'Be Here Now'. More recently, Eckhart Tolle borrowed these ideas for his own very successful book, 'The Power Of Now'. People engage in mindfulness in different areas of their lives, from taking a shower to eating a meal, and from settling down for the night to going out shopping or working. But a true state of mindfulness is best achieved during yoga, in which people can become hyper aware of all their different sensations while taking on different positions and forms.

"When you practice yoga," adds Per Davidson, "it is about breathing, becoming one with the universe, and letting earth energies flow through you. If you practice mindfulness at the same time, you can literally learn to live in that moment, to quieten the mind and, instead, listen to your body and your soul. Our mat has been designed to encourage people to do this in a comfortable and safe way, so they are able to focus 100% on their practice."