I got into yoga as a student- the friendly yogis at Freshers’ Week convinced me to sign up with a great deal, and I’ve never looked back. Although now, I am often away on press trips, so I don’t practise quite as often as I like. But when I am at home, I have a great Vinyasa yoga instructor (plus the amazing Adrienne on YouTube) and have taken up Pilates which my core loves. 

So when I received my beautifully packaged Liforme yoga mat, my yoga practice stepped up a notch or two! Not only is it sturdy (it weighs about 2kg), it’s a stonking 185cm long, so you have room for all kinds of poses, but the real bonus is the brand’s innovative alignment system which is printed on the mat with eco-friendly ink which reinforces the sustainable credentials.

Even though I might know the poses, I am a little rusty with being corrected, and the intelligent markers on the mat ensure that I can have a quick check and adjust where appropriate; and although we should always listen to our own body, it’s easy to get into bad habits if you don’t have any guidance of the right placement of hands and feet.

My mat’s rainbow Lotus is the focal point, indicating the root of your symmetry and the centre of your grounding, which not only looks pretty, it reminds you what it’s all about; while the central line is to guide your positioning when you need to be equidistant in postures such as the Warrior. Whereas the end lines are to guide you to the preferable collaboration of the Downward Dog and encourage confidence and good form, where you can completely breathe into the position and let go (incidentally it’s also my favourite stretch!)

Another pro of my beautiful mat is the grip; previously I have tried lots of different thicknesses and coatings, but the Liforme mat has a patented EcoGrip which is also wipe-clean for those sweaty sessions (who doesn’t love a fast- flowing Vinyasa session where you get hot hot hot?). Plus, it’s comfortable enough to enjoy a prolonged Shavasana.

If you’re looking for an investment, and care for the environment, your Liforme mat will be the perfect addition to your practice. And you will be safe in the knowledge that you’ll be doing your Triangle pose in good company- with yogis from 85 countries worldwide! Plus, the mats are B-Corp certified, so when you’re getting bendy, you can have a smug smile that your mat will eventually biodegrade without a trace. What is more satisfying than that?

For information on the brand and to find out how to personalise your mat, check out Liforme here