I recently received a Rajasthan Yoga Practice Rug from Barefoot Yoga Co so I could take it for a spin and give you my take on it. In case you’ve never heard of Barefoot Yoga Co, they sell very cool and very authentic yoga gear. I believe all of their gear is handmade from organic materials, and from the build of this rug, I don’t doubt it. It’s super sturdy. It’s 28″ wide by 74″ long x 1/8″ thick, and appears to be crafted from cotton.
Barefoot Yoga sells the Rajasthan Practice Rug in 3 different flavors: a plain rug, or one with an Om design or one with a lotus design for $41 and $43 respectively. The one I’ve been using is the plain one, which is sort of a very dark brown/red (it’s described on the company website as “eggplant”) with yellow decorations on the front and back of it. While not the most aesthetically beautiful practice rug to look at, it met and exceeded all of my expectations during yoga practice. And that’s really what it’s all about.
I used the Rajasthan for numerous different styles of classes, from my own personal home restorative sessions, to moderate flows and power vinyasa in the studio. I also took it to an Anatomy workshop and as soon as I unrolled it, the other people in the room noticed it immediately and began asking me about it. That happened on more than one occasion. It’s not your ordinary rubber mat and people seem to pick up on that.
I found that once placed, my hands and feet weren’t going anywhere in downward dog
Personally, I did not use the Raja for a heated class, but that’s actually what it’s designed for. I’m not really a Bikram or Ashtanga practitioner, although I do enjoy the occasional heated power class so I’m keen on the value of a mat with good grip. Well, the grip on the Raja is EXCELLENT, and I can’t stress that enough. According to the company, once you start sweating, the mat really begins to grip. That would be some serious grip.
The only drawback I found with the rug is that you really do have to use it as more of a towel that goes on top of another mat. Unless you’re strictly doing restorative and not really getting off the mat, you wouldn’t want put it down on a wood floor and begin to flow because it moves. That may be obvious to some people, but I had to figure that one out on my own. But marry the Raja with your favorite rubber mat – a mat under…say 4mm – and you now have a serious foundation on which to build your practice. I would feel secure doing a heated class on that combination, no sweat 
Another good thing is that you can throw it in the wash when it gets too funky. Finally, it’s very light foldable so I can see it being a wonderful travel mat as well.
Bottom Line
I really like this rug and can see myself using it for some time to come. It’s built to last and the grip is exceptional. It smells, looks and feels very authentic, and it made me feel like a sadhu of old practicing in ancient India. There’s just something very grounding about connecting to more natural material during yoga. The Rajasthan is not something that I would ordinarily gravitate toward purchasing on my own, so I’m very glad that Barefoot Yoga Co sent it to me. It’s definitely opened my eyes and has had a positive effect on my practice.
About Barefoot Yoga Co
Barefoot Yoga Company is a unique and popular yoga product and apparel company founded in 1996. We are well-known and established in the global yoga community with a solid reputation for providing the highest quality yoga products available online and at over 3,500 studios and stores worldwide.
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