In recent years, more and more yogis are looking for natural yoga mats that are made from organic plants to bring them close to Mother Nature while they perform their yoga practice. The material of natural yoga mats varies. It can include cotton yoga mats, natural rubber, organic hemp and dried grass yoga mats.

 When you thumb through a yoga mats catalog, you will be surprised to find out there are so many different kinds of mats. Rubbery yoga sticky mats, light weight travel mats, alignment mats, natural yoga mats and cotton rugs. Most yoga mats are made from Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) - an oil-based plastic.

The majority of natural rubber mats you’ll find on the market are made of open cell rubber derived from rubber trees. They are designed with latex-free and allergic-free properties. These natural rubber mats offer excellent traction, even when they become wet from perspiration. They are tougher, denser and thicker than standard yoga mats, available in thicknesses of 3/16-inches and weights of 5-pounds each. Natural rubber yoga mats cost around $50 online.

Another yoga mat option is an eco-friendly dried grass mat, which is suitable for gentle yoga exercises - such as Ashtanga yoga and Hatha yoga. These mats are hand-woven with a heavy latex underside to provide great firmness without the sticky chemical support. The fresh smell of the dried grass will bring you back to nature whenever you’re doing yoga postures or meditation. Dried grass yoga mats cost about $50 online.

A third popular option is a hemp yoga mat made from organic European hemp, which is processed without any chemicals in a pure environmental facility. These hand-woven yoga mats are wound with tight hemp yarns and offer a comfortable and calming surface for yoga exercise. For those who are allergic to rubber, a rubber-free material like hemp is ideal for your yoga workouts. The size of a hemp yoga mat is approximately 72-inches x 24-inches. Though these are not as thick as regular or natural rubber yoga mats, you can fold your hemp mat a couple times to add to its thickness. In addition, natural hemp yoga mats are ideal for traveling because they fold and roll so easily. Natural hemp yoga mats start at $60 online.