Manduka eQua yoga Towel Arrived

My new Manduka eQua towel arrived today. Will let you know what it's like after my practice tomorrow.First impressions........Green, VERY green! It's like doing your practice at Lords or Wimbledon's center court

So it's now Tomorrow. Practiced with the eQua towel this morning. Had the heating turned up really high to make it a good and sweaty practice.

One problem though, I'd requested the XL towel for my XL manduka mat but in the meantime I'd sliced off the end of my manduka (collective gasp). Thing was I was getting used to this great big long mat but going to the Shala and having to practice on a regular size mat. I was afraid of kicking the person behind me in the head so reluctantly decided to get used to a regular mat at home. So I cut my manduka down to regular size forgetting about the imminent arrival of said XL eQua.

But this is actually OK as I can fold a couple of inches of the mat over each end of the mat making it even more secure (see picture).

So does it work? is it fit for purpose?

Manduka claim

1. Super-absorbent.

It certainly is. I'm about as sweaty an Ashtangi as your likely to find, the eQua did all I could ask of it.

2. Ultra soft.

As a babies bottom. I suffer from ashtanga toes, dried skin on the front of your big toe from rolling over throughout the practice. Gets really sore huh. These days I sually lower onto my knees then adjust my toes to avoid rolling over. With the eQua it's so soft that I was able to go back to rolling over. The towel feels really nice too laying back into the supine asana's and especially savasana.

3. Slip resistant.

Need to give it a quick spray with a water mister but from then on your fine. Parasarita Padattanasana has to be one of the most worrying asanas where slipping can be really nasty. Here's a video from this morning on the towel.

and here's another of a jump back and jump through another area of concern with regards to slipping

.

4. Moisture Wicking

So this refers to drawing the moisture away from the surface of the mat in the same way as my trusty Nike pro's. I guess it does, seeing as theirs no pool of sweat on top of the mat, but have always wondered.....where does it all go, wicked away to where? one of the great mystery, solve this one next Gordon.

5. Rapid dry.

Oh yeah! again, how, where does it go? pretty much dry ten minutes after practice. Also I rinsed it out in the shower, wrung it out, hung it on the door about an hour ago and it's already dry and ready to go again.

6. Light weight

Yep, weighs almost nothing and folds up into a tiny mesh bag too.

7. Durable

Will have to see about that but I imagine so. Looks well made

BUT.......... well not much a but really. But see my earlier post on making your own yoga towel http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/10/home-made-non-slip-yoga-towel.html

The eQua is basically just a pretty microfiber towel. eBay is full of them at the moment so you could make your own as I did.

However, I couldn't find one the right length for a yoga mat and had to settle for a bath towel, cut it down the middle and stitch the seams. The eQua on the other hand is designed for a mat, the right length the right width and comes in cool colours (hard to find a decent colour microfiber towel on eBay).