You know that moment when you made the decision to pick up a yoga practice?

You’ve heard all the benefits it can have on your body (and mind) and have decided it’s time to welcome it into your life.

So you go out, buy a mat, some yoga clothes and, because you want to “feel” like you’ve “done” something, you decide to go for a hot yoga practice.

Here you are, at your first hot yoga class with this brand new mat you got from the nearest all-in-one store. Ready to get moving.

Only to find out, 10 minutes in, that you’re slipping like crazy!!

The intensity of trying to grab onto your mat makes the experience less than pleasant, which translates in you never coming back!

Here’s the thing, it’s not the practice. It’s not even the mat. It’s wearing heels to a half marathon – you can do it but would you want to?!

Thankfully, I’ve gone through this already and, hopefully, can save you the “pain”.

Doing some research in what the most appropriate yoga mat will be for your particular practice is important.

Halfmoon Mighty Mat Review

Rather than going into a whole bunch of mats, I’m focusing on the Halfmoon Mighty Mat today.

The moment I put my arms around it, I felt a few butterflies in my stomach. Really, I did!

The mat is heavy which sets nicely on the ground and doesn’t curl up too much on the sides.

The textured side is the side you want to practice on – the smooth side is meant to grip onto the earth.

Before you get to your first class though, you need to clean your mat.

There’s usually a shiny coat that’s applied at the factory to avoid it from sticking to itself when rolled up – this coat will also cause extra slipping if not taken care of beforehand. Believe me, I made that mistake :)

To clean your mat, simply spray it with gentle soap and water, wipe it down, and give it enough time (a few hours) to dry.

After that, get started on using it. The more you use it, the more wear it will have on the surface – which is perfect for increasing friction.

A nice tip is to place your mat in a high-traffic hallway at home and walk on it BAREFOOT.

My experience with the Mighty Mat has been great! I’ve used it in both hot yoga and room temperature classes.

I like the feel of the texture under my fingertips to draw them towards the heel of my hands. It helps create that grip I need to feel safe during my practice.

The only moment I have a little uncomfy feel is rolling onto my toes from Upward Facing Dog to Downward Facing Dog – the grooves bother my tender toes but I can easily choose to tuck my toes in instead of rolling on them. No biggie.

In the really hot classes, I like to use their Wet Grip Mat Towel to help absorb all the sweat! This is buckets full so I find I’m more at ease having a towel to immediately absorb all of it.

Cleaning after class is simple. With a towel or paper towel, the water or spray glides easily. Roll up, and go!

Personally, I think this is a great mat! With the gift-giving season right around the corner, I’d suggest you check it out for that yogi (or yourself) that’s looking to get a yoga practice started. Check out their website for pricing and availability.