AMAZING YOGA POSES THAT DON'T REQUIRE A YOGA MAT

Posted by Kranti Yoga School on November 27th, 2019

Let’s say it now - you don’t need a mat to practice yoga! You can practice yoga anytime, anywhere, you just need your breath and your body. That being said, a yoga mat does make your practice more comfortable, especially if you’ve got sensitive joints or if the ground you’re practicing on is uneven and hard. However, today we’re looking at some amazing and easy yoga poses that you can do that really don’t require a mat; we want to show you that you don’t need to be in a yoga studio to practice yoga; so if you’re out and about, and without a mat, here are some postures you can try to get your yoga workout in.

But first, some tips: try to find a flat, level surface to practice on – a big hill, or slippery surface is not ideal. If you’re outside, you might want to consider keeping your shoes on (trainers are ideal), and best to find a place where you won’t be disturbed too easily.

A sequence of standing yoga poses is nice if you don’t have a mat, so we’re going to talk you through a quick and easy one for your matless yoga workout:

1. Utkatasana (Chair Pose) – bending the knees and putting the weight in the heels, sweep the arms overhead and hold for 5 breaths.
2. Uttanasana (Forward Fold) – straighten the legs and hinging at the hips fold yourself forward, hold for 5 breaths. Roll up slowly to stand.
3. Utthita Hasta Padangustasana A > B > C (or knee to chest for modification) – find your balance and engage through the core, holding each posture for 5 long breaths. Try to keep the leg off the ground the entire time!
4. To reset the body, instead of a vinyasa, take Utkatasana > Uttansana. Then repeat #3 on the second side. Repeat again before #5.
5. Virabhadrasana C (Warrior 3) – sweep one leg back and engaging through the core try to keep the body parallel with the floor. Hold for 5 breaths.
6. High Lunge – from your Warrior 3 send the leg directly back into a High Lunge, hold for 5 breaths. Option to straighten and bend the front leg as you breathe to create a pulsing action and increase the intensity of the yoga workout.
7. Virabhadrasana B (Warrior 2) – open the back foot to 90 degrees and hold your Warrior 2 for 5 breaths.
8. Modified Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle) – bring the elbow the knee, and reach the other arm overhead, creating a stretch in the side body without bringing your other arm to the floor. You can float the arm on the bent knee and engage through the core for this modification. Hold for 5 breaths.
9. Come back through high lunge, step your feet together and reset the body with Utkatasana > Uttansana. Then repeat from step #6.

So there you have it, proof that you don’t need a yoga mat to practice yoga. We hope you enjoyed this little sequence, and feel free to add any movements or postures that feel intuitive for you. The fun thing about spontaneous practice is the ability to adapt it to your mood and environment. Happy practicing!