Art & Function Rolled into One

You just walked in your front door and are now making a hasty beeline for the shower. Hot yoga is aptly named and you can feel the residual stickiness of all that sweat lingering on your body from head to toe.

It’s easy to shower off all the grossness of a particularly intense yoga sesh, washing it all down the drain. But what about your yoga mat? It’s just as sweaty and worn-out as you are. Back in the day you probably just rolled it up and tossed it to the back of your closet, letting all the dirt and germs soak into the material where it lingered until the next session.

But your new mat isn’t just some cheapo department store product, it’s one of our Big Raven Yoga mats and that’s not something you toss away like it’s nothing. What you can do is rid your mat of all that dirt by putting it straight into the washing machine on the gentle cycle. Say goodbye to disgusting bacteria in one easy step (seriously, it’s that simple!).

Warning: Don’t use fabric softener in your wash cycle. The chemicals in the fabric softener interact poorly with the surface of your mat and will make it extremely slippery.

Ta-da! One wash-cycle and a quick shower later both you and your mat are squeaky clean. But what are you supposed to do with your now-damp-but-disinfected mat? You certainly can’t throw it back into that old closet or toss it into the dryer. These options may seem simple and tempting, but don’t give in!

The heat of the dryer will definitely distort your mat. If you want a Picasso-esque piece go ahead and hurl the mat in, but we’re guessing that’s not what you’re looking for and you’d probably like to keep your mat in the same shape as the day you tore open the packaging. That’s why we recommend you hang your mat up. This way your mat will dry perfectly and you won’t get any awkward creases or wrinkles. But don’t drape your mat over a surface because this can damage or alter the artwork. Depending on the humidity of your environment the entire drying process should only take about one day or two at the most.

You bought your Big Raven Yoga mat not only because it’s highly functional and durable, but because you loved to look at it too. The intricate and vibrantly colored design is what likely drove you to purchase your specific yoga mat. Whether you chose your mat from our Sawyer, Brianna, Josephine, Hannah, Betty or Aisha collection you saw your mat as not just a piece of yoga equipment, but also a piece of art.

You want to admire the artwork on your mat so we sure hope you’re not just hanging it in a back room. What’s the point of hiding it away where you can’t even see it? That sounds a bit counter-intuitive to us. Art is supposed to be put on display. You don’t see the Mona Lisa or Starry Night tucked away where no one can see it, and your yoga mat is no different! Well, maybe it’s a little different, but we’re not going to ask you to hang it up in the Louvre or the Met. What you can do is hang your mat for display in your own home. You already need to hang it out to dry so why not have it double as a piece of home decor? It’s a win-win!

Soon you’ll be able to purchase special art clips on our online store so you can show off your mat whenever you’re not practicing yoga. These clips will easily attach to your wall and in just a few minutes your mat becomes a piece of decor that you and all your guests can enjoy. And you don’t need to worry about a sopping wet mat dripping onto your hardwood or carpeted floors; Big Raven Yoga mats will air dry like a wrung-out towel, no puddles to mop up or slip over.

Not only can you enjoy your mat during your practice, but you, your family and friends can all admire its beauty in your home too. You don’t need to be ashamed of your yoga mat anymore. Now you own a mat that you can be proud of. Your Big Raven Yoga mat is not only gorgeous, but something we hope inspires you to find fulfillment and comfort in your yoga practice and your life.