Amazing, amazing, amazing!! I have heard such great things about Manduka yoga mats, that when my company said they would reimburse employees for fitness equipment, my first thought was to get one of these babies! I chose the 71" Midnight Blue Manduka Pro Lite honestly just because it was within the reimbursement budget, but also because it is a great color. I love how it is made from recycled materials and champions an eco-friendly lifestyle. It is a great width and weight, and nice and grippy! In terms of use, I sweat a lot, and when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. This does a really good job of preventing slip, but also at a certain point, no mat will ever stop someone who is straight up liquid, so be realistic with your expectations (i.e. I still find it slips sometimes). Also note that I tend to use my mat on carpet, and if you were to use it on hard flooring, the mat would be even grippier and I don't think I would have issues slipping at all! On maintenance - Manduka recommends you sprinkle a bunch of salt on your mat when you first get it to help "break it in." Who was I to question the natural and earthy powers of the great salt break in??? Who was I to place myself above the experts of Manduka????? I decided to heed their advice. With all the passion and excitement of unleashing my mat's true potential, I shook shook shook my salt shaker above its gleaming surface. I patiently waited, attune to my mat's needs. After 24 hours passed, I returned to my mat, ready to welcome it into its new form. But wait - I encountered a dilemma. How exactly, were I to lift this 71" rubber serpent from the ground?? How were I to safely deposit those millions of shaken salt crystals from my mat's plane??? Now let us pause and note that this would not have been as arduous of a task if I had not decided to complete the great salt shake in my carpeted bedroom. Alas, my decision had already been made, my ship set on its course. With all the great balance and coordination of an amateur yoga practitioner, I raised the sides of my mat, dragging it to my bathroom. Allthewhile, I sensed myself losing thousands of salt crystal souls on the way. After patiently attempting to contain the briny gems, I finally heaved my rubber flag over the bathtub and shook shook shook as best I could, to remove the salty deposits. Yet again, I found myself tormented. This mat is praised for its grip, its hold, its strength. And so the salt remained. Defeated, I climbed into the bathtub, swallowed my pride, and brushed each individual crystal from my mat's surface. To this day, I still find memories of the past clinging to my mat - small sodium chloride diamond reminders of heroes come and gone. So overall, I think you could probably break this in without having to salt it, unless you really really wanted to. Awesome addition to any exercise routine!!
