What are you grateful for in your yoga practice these days, friends? And how do you feel when you step onto your mat? How does your yoga practice support you?

I recently posed these questions to Yani and Kelsie of the Sponsored Yogis team, after sending along some awesome Manduka yoga mats for them to try.

I'm hoping their answers will make you smile, like they did for me :)

From Yani:

I am in love with my eKo Manduka mats! For so many reasons. First, I received them from my angel Rachel with Alive in the Fire. I was heading out from lunch when a lovely delivery met me. It was sheer joy. I hugged them. My mats along with a few other magical goodies were the first thing I had received with my sponsorship with Alive in the Fire as a 2016 Sponsored Yogi. I was elated. So blessed.

My favorite is my 5 mm practice mat! I am in love. So in love.

I'm not sure if it's a universal energy, this time in space, or my mat, but I have been so connected to my mat. It frees me. Welcomes and supports me.

I welcomed in the Lunar New Year with a divine flow. The year of the monkey is fitting; as I surrendered to the moment I let myself grow curious and be playful with my level of intelligence and possibility.

My Manduka Eko SuperLite travel mat is much smaller and thinner than the travel mat I recently used in my travels within China and the Philippines. The first time I used this mat I folded it and placed it in my backpack. I went on a walk through my neighborhood and led myself to a session at a nearby park. While I was once concerned with how thin it was, it is the last thing on your mind. Again I may just be riding on some wonderful wavelengths in existence, but I found magic in my practice.

From Kelsie:

In asanas that tend to be slightly harder on the knees, like Ustrasana (camel pose) and Anjaneyasana (low lunge), this mat provides just the right amount of support and cushion to feel ease and comfort throughout the pose, even when held for long periods of time. The mat also provides stabilization and joint protection during asanas that require more stability, balance, and impact. At the same time, it won’t compromise the ability to feel stable and connected to the ground. Don’t just take my word for it, though.

I have recently furthered my meditation by practicing with my Manduka.

There, on my mat, is where I let go of my ego, my worries, and my fears. And it’s on my mat where I relish and experience the greatness of being “here and now."

A big thanks to the team at Manduka for their generosity, and to Kelsie and Yani for sharing about their yoga practice. Namaste.