Just received or purchased a splendid new yoga mat for yourself? Congrats! We know how exciting it is to rush to your next class with your new sparkly mat in tow, but let’s not forget that old beloved one! After all, it probably still has a few years left in it, and it has been through a lot with you throughout your practice!
What if you gave your mat a second life that was more meaningful or useful? Give your old mat a second life by giving it a purposeful, more useful life. It can even improve your or others’ lives.
Here’s a list of simple and easy ways to reuse your old yoga mats. You can upcycle, recycle, or donate your mat!
Please give it to the Pets.
Have you ever noticed how much your pets love your yoga mats? The mat is just as popular with them as it is with you! These mats are perfect for animal shelters to use to provide a place for dogs to lay down or line their crates. You could use them at home with your pets.
Donate to Elderly Homes
The elderly homes can use your old mats for their yoga classes or to keep people from slipping. You can check with your local retirement home to see if this kind of donation is accepted.
It’s a great tool to use next time you camp.
Camping trips can create lasting memories, and they bring people together to connect with nature. You can use your old mat to create a mudroom in front of the tent for next season.
Protect Your Car
You can use that extra time to do something else with your family or yourself. You can keep the mat in your trunk and roll it out on your back seat when you are going to the garden center, your dog’s muddy paws, or your hiking boots after a trail blaze.
Donate to a Shelter for the Homeless
Donate them to a shelter for the homeless to be used as sleeping pads. Don’t hesitate to throw in some shirts and new socks as well. The smaller things are often forgotten, but they can be very important.
Use as Knee Protector
Roll it up and use it as a knee pad the next time you are gardening or cleaning your bathtub. To keep yourself mobile, protecting your knees is a goal you should have for the rest of your life. You don’t have a bathtub or garden? Please give it to a member of your family who has one and explain the same purpose.
Use as a Handyman Tool
Use your old mat as a protective layer on the workbench in your garage to prevent screws and tools from rolling off. You can also use it for any items that are prone to scuffing or breaking. You can save your family and friends the hassle.
Use as a Picnic Mat
Use it for your next spontaneous picnic, beach trip, or outdoor yoga session! There’s nothing like being ready for any outdoor adventure.
Use as a Jar Opener
Cut your mat into squares that are slightly larger than your hands and store them in your kitchen drawer. Use it to grip jars with tight lids.
Use as furniture pads.
To prevent scratches, you can cut the tape into smaller pieces and use it to glue on the bottoms of furniture legs. You can make these items last longer whether you rent or own your home. This will reduce your stress and save you money.
Jade Yoga: Donate
Visit Jade Yoga at the next Yoga Convention you attend. They accept donations and pool them together. Then, they send all the mats to various charities for reuse.
Here are a few things you can do to give your old mat a new life. Share any other ideas you have with the DYY Community via the comments section below. We’d love them to know!
