Can You Do Yoga On Carpet? Positives And Negatives Vs Yoga Mats
If You Are Wondering Whether You Can Do Yoga On Carpet Then This Article Is For You. Here, We Take You Through Why And How You Can Do Yoga On Carpet. Also We Will Compare Doing Yoga On Carpet Vs Doing It On Yoga Mats, So That You Can Make An Informed Choice.
The calm effect of meditation and relaxing workouts can relieve anybody of the stress in modern times. When you are sitting in your own home with no way to go out, or too tired, after a hectic day, going out for a gym seems like a far-fetched dream.
This is where yoga comes in and fits with the contemporary chaotic schedules. This ancient practice from India is quite relevant to this day. It is actually a holistic approach that heals the body, soul, and mind. As a result, you would find it as the perfect option to unwind and recharge your own self, anytime, anywhere.
The best thing about yoga is you do not need a number of props to start the session, unlike the other popular fitness activities. Just get a mat and even if you are a beginner, you can start the journey in the wonderful world of yoga.
However, people often come with some common queries, ‘Will it be possible to do yoga on the carpet? Is it safe to do yoga on a carpet, especially if we cannot get our hands on a mat? Can we replace the mat entirely with a carpet that we have in my home already?’
We are going to discuss and answer all these topics here so that you can have a safe yoga experience without any trouble.
Can You Do Yoga On Carpet?
Generally, using a mat on a bare or hardwood floor is the most common practice. However, in modern urban small apartments, there is not always enough hard-floor to move around. Often, the common sitting area is carpeted which has the most space to move your arms and torso.
Even if it is not a permanent fixture, it can be a tiring job to roll up the carpet aside every time when you are starting to begin your yoga sessions. You can set up the mat on the carpet itself though, we are going to discuss it in detail. Also, if you do not have a mat, you can use a carpet directly to use it as a cushion.
Mat-Carpet Combination
Generally, the living or the game room is spacious in a small home, followed by the bedroom. When you are placing your mat on the fluffy carpet in these places, the only problem that may arise is that you may slip a bit.
As the surface is uneven, the mat will not stay still, and you’ll have trouble balancing in the beginning. However, once you get used to it, the extra cushion can come as a blessing. When you have the mat, you have some grip too, to stay steady.
Do keep it in mind that, for doing yoga on a carpeted floor, you cannot use the common mat. The mat you need must be able to grip the carpet properly.
If you are planning to take yoga seriously, take it as an investment, and get a good one. We have a few suggestions which have a good grip even on a carpet. You can check them out and get the one that is available and catches your eye.
Yoga On Carpet Is Beneficial
There are a number of traditional yoga places in India, where yoga carpets are used in place of a yoga mat. They are very thin in general, and it does not bulge up easily. As a result, you can have some traction on flat floors like concrete or hard-wood.
It is actually great for practicing an advanced level of yoga. However, you must have some experience in balancing before you are completely ready to try these out.
When you consider all the facts, in some of the cases, doing yoga on a carpet, be it with or without mat, can be actually beneficial. It reduces the pain on the joints where the bone meets the skin and then meets the floor.
When you are doing planks for a long time with your elbows, sitting on the bone while leg-stretching, or the palm of the hand, the carpet dulls the impact as well as the pain. Generally, people opt for thicker mats or put foam under it for this purpose.
But when you have a carpet, you do not need to bother about it. If it has a flat and a stable surface, which is cleaned regularly, a carpet can be quite good for practicing yoga.
In some places in India, it is actually a tradition to use a carpet instead of a mat. It is also a must-have in general when you are doing Bikram yoga. When Yoga practitioners spoke from their own experience, it is seen that the hardwood floor yoga offers more balance.
Yoga On Carpet Vs Yoga On Mat
Which Is Better? Pros And Cons Of Doing Yoga On Carpet
Well, no yoga enthusiast can ever say that specifically. However, here are a few common points of advantages and disadvantages that will be good for you to consider. So, keeping all of this in mind, choose which one to go for suited as per your needs and requirements.
Pros
- Doing yoga on the carpet puts less pressure on your wrist and other joints, as it has more cushioning given the usual mats.
- If you do not have a mat handy, you need not wait but start if you have a carpet ready.
- Actually, practising on a carpet is more challenging, but it ends up improving your balance as a whole. You have to work hard to achieve it. So if you can do yoga on a carpet, you can do it anywhere.
Cons
- It can be difficult to find balance on the carpet, especially for a beginner. As it wobbles a lot, you can fall if you do not have some experience. For this very reason, even hard carpet is not a good flooring choice for a yoga studio.
- Low-quality carpets or thicker ones can bend up easily, so people can stumble on them. On the other hand, even the thickest mats are thinner than them, which provides a stable surface.
- Even in the case when you are practicing yoga daily and seriously, you may end pulling a muscle if you are not careful enough. This is why getting a top-quality mat is a good option.
- The friction of the body against the carpet surface can cause a rash. Also, if you practice in the same spot of the carpet, the colour will fade in that area for sure, in just a matter of days.
- If you do the yoga session on the carpet directly, it will absorb sweat and get icky. To remove the dirt, you need to wash it off. But cleaning, drying, and placing a carpet again can be a nightmare. It can damage the carpet permanently too.
Conclusion
In the end, it all comes down to personal choice. If you are a beginner, try to avoid doing it on the carpet. But if you are confident enough, start doing simple poses and then advance gradually.
If you can master it here, every surface will be a breeze for you. Still, if you feel that doing yoga on a carpet is quite impossible for you, fret not. You have a unique solution.
LifeBoard offers an actual portable floor. You can use it on carpeted floors, outdoor- wherever you want. It is lightweight, has a non-skid top, so the mats do not slip away. It is hard enough to offer balance at ease, even for beginners.
You may also be interested to checkout our post on Best yoga Mats For Beginners and Best yoga mats right now on market.