The Yin Yang Mat: A Space to Exercise and to Relax

Morning and evening, one mat

The YinYang mat is built around the duality of two halves: light and dark, morning and evening, exercise and meditation.

Morning: wake the body up

Start with lymphatic jumps. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and let your knees soften. Bounce gently on the spot, heels barely leaving the floor, arms loose, shoulders relaxed. Keep it easy and rhythmic for a minute or two. It is a simple way to shake off sleep and get the whole body moving before you ask it to stretch. I then tap my body from face to ankles, focusing on the lymph node areas, to wake up the skin and muscles.

Then pick your path.

If you like to lead yourself, flow into a few rounds of sun salutations at whatever pace feels good.

If you would rather be guided, press play on an online class. Try classes from fellow Aussie and Pilates teacher Move with Nicole. Leave your phone propped by the mat so you do not have to think about what comes next.

The new YinYang mat has a polyurethane and coconut fibre surface that grips well once you warm up and start to sweat, so you can move a little faster without slipping. It also dries quickly and wipes clean with a damp cloth or wet wipe.

Then tea. Mayde Tea is my favourite, brewed for a few minutes and enjoyed in the garden with the sun on my face.

Evening: let the day go

Everything flips. Lights low, phone in another room.

I light my favourite incense or roll on some perfume oil from This is Gentle Habits, the Byron Bay scent is my go-to.

Start in child’s pose with your forehead resting on the mat, breathing slowly. Move onto your back and drop both knees to one side for a gentle twist, then the other. Then lie with your legs resting up a wall, or simply stay flat with your arms loose. The 5mm cushioning does the work here, so you can stay as long as you like.

When you are settled, begin the breathing. I like to do a few rounds of box breathing: in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4. Then I change to in for 3, out for 7. I can feel my body sink into the mat, and the tension from the day melts away.

Afterwards, a cup of something warm, like a sleepy time herbal tea, and a piece of Loco Love chocolate.

One mat, left out

Leave it rolled out, or hang it from the door with the Door Display Kit. It will be the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you pass at night. That is how small rituals can be easily adopted.

See the mat and our take on the yin yang symbol here

YinYang is captured with two birds meeting in one slow, unbroken curve: the balance of light and dark, day and night. It is etched into the surface rather than printed, for a tonal effect. Dark and quiet, it is a unisex design that blends feminine and masculine energy.

Namaste,
Amber