I am done trying out new yoga mats.

Even the high-end yoga mats leave me wanting more, which sent me searching for a true yoga mat alternative.

First of all, they don’t accomplish the primary promise: comfort and safety. I leave every yoga class with tight calves and hips, aching feet and a lower back ache too. The thin rubber (including the “premium extra-thick” yoga mats) does nothing to absorb impact or reduce strain on my knees, wrists and elbows as claimed. I still feel the unforgiving hard flooring every yoga class comes with, usually thin fake wood over concrete. These flimsy rubber pads called yoga mats are no more than a stinky and grimey placebo. When I push myself in a high-intensity vinyasa class I wonder why I have to hurt so much and why these high-end yoga studios do not provide more forgiving flooring.

After testing every yoga mat on the market from generic to premium, I am left disappointed. My first complaint is they all start off smelling like rubber and end up stinking like sweaty feet and there is no way to clean them. The gorgeous light-colored mats are permanently dirty after two classes. The yoga mat lasts between a few months and a long year before becoming permanently smelly, covered in my sweat stains and becoming too gross to use.

Yoga rugs also are not my cup of tea, they stretch and move under my feet making a simple down dog almost impossible. The thicker squishy yoga mats or rugs with padding make balancing poses feel unstable and unsafe. All of this left me wondering if there might be a better yoga mat alternative out there.
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My surprising yoga mat solution:

After endless experiences, testing, and searching for a better yoga mat alternative, I have arrived at a surprising destination: sprung yoga flooring.

A foldable wood sprung yoga board is the answer to all of my issues. This flexible wood panel suspended over the soft support of (truly cushioning!) foam blocks gives me the comfort and stability I need to practice yoga and enjoy it.

Why I’m replacing my yoga mat for a better alternative…

This sprung wood yoga board is easy to clean, smells great, and will last a lifetime.

The surface of the wood yoga board is finished with a non-porous urethane providing a surface with a grip matching the best of yoga mats while never soaking up any of my sweat (or that body lotion that hasn’t completely soaked in yet). This ultra-hygienic surface allows me to clean up after my yoga class with an easy wipe of my towel and my preferred cleaning solution bringing a natural freshness to my yoga mat alternative. No more expensive specialty cleaners or hoping that my mat gets clean with a water wipedown when I use my yoga board. I mix my favorite calming pine essential oil with water and with a few simple towel swipes, my board is clean. The nano ceramic urethane finish also allows me to sanitize my yoga surface with an alcohol based cleaner to remove any trace of bacteria (so different than the rubber mats which can hardly be exposed to sunlight without degrading).

This yoga board is an heirloom quality piece; being made from the world’s finest engineered plywood panels the wood will last long beyond my time doing yoga. The solid wood provides a stable surface for long balancing poses even when I’m on carpet, and all without the typical yoga mat issues of sliding or stretching underfoot. Plus it’s warm! I’m elevated above the cold floors of any room I’m in, and when my board has been soaking in the sunshine before practice…heavenly.

My dream yoga scene, anywhere.

The one con I can find is the transport size and weight. You will feel different walking into your yoga class with what appears to be a large briefcase weighing just over 30lbs. O’Mara Sprung Floors is currently working on developing and testing a thinner engineered wood panel to reduce the weight but I have found the benefits of the sprung yoga board to outweigh the load of carrying it with me whenever I go to class. At home it is either spread out in my favorite yoga spot or leaning against the wall in my closet waiting for my next yoga session.

And, because this yoga board is a board, I can practice even in the most plushly carpeted room with ultra stability. No more scrounging for a plywood panel to lug in and lay my thin rubber mat over; instead, I have this incredible yoga mat alternative that provides the support I need. I am feeling so supported anywhere I travel with my sprung yoga board: inside on carpet or concrete, or outside at the park: I have the personal yoga space of my dreams. And since I’m dreaming:

The magic of my yoga studio having a wood sprung floor…

It would be so wonderful if my yoga studio had this wood sprung floor covering their hard floors so I can leave my yoga board in place at home.

O’Mara Sprung Floors does custom fit sprung flooring to cover full rooms to make a dream yoga space for the studio’s clients. This way yoga students can choose to just bring a small towel with them for sweat or they can still bring their favorite yoga mat if they prefer – though they might just discover that this sprung floor serves as the ultimate yoga mat alternative. This wood sprung yoga floor provides the comfort, stability and safety that yoga practitioners require to have an enjoyable yoga experience.

Your hands, feet, knees, back and joints can now be supported in a way that truly elevates the yoga experience to new heights, allowing beginners and experienced yoga practitioners to practice yoga in a beautiful new way.

You can order your yoga board today and safely transform your practice with this yoga mat alternative.

And if you’re a yoga studio owner, make dreams reality with a custom yoga floor quote.