Slipping during postures

I honestly don't know who got the idea that holding downward dog for long periods of time was good for you - and it's only in those classes where I am holding it for ridiculously long periods of time that my hands slip. And yes, they slip all the time, no matter what kind of mat, it seems. Some people get those super bumpy yoga towels (they are a bit pricey though). I got a pair of Yoga Paws to go over your hands. They work but can dig into your hand so you have another issue instead of slippage. The cheap solution is possibly to put a workout towel on your mat where your hands are in downdog.

Wash and dry your hands thoroughly before practice. Don't use lotion. Check to see if it's your mat, that's a quick way to problem solve. Also-it helps to check where your weight placement is on your hands--press down into all ten fingers, especially the inner part-thumb and forefinger and meaty part between. The other thing you can do is press down into all the bony parts of the fingers and the base of the fingers. I've heard this called "clawing" but I think that word is too strong and ends up with lifted fingers and palms, which the action obviously isn't. Or what about rolling up the edge of the mat a bit in front? Place the heel of your hands on the roll, the fingers on the floor and see if that helps-and don't worry this is still healthy for the wrists. Let me know what you find out!

I was sliding all over the place too! Several students in my class had these:

http://www.yogaaccessories.com/YogaTowels.asp and it works pretty good. You could try a regular beach towel too.

Hello Lara,

Since the site choses not to show dates on posts I don't know when you were last responded to. Sorry if this is too late or no longer active.

Three elments would need to be addressed in a post such as yours. The temperature of the room (your practice), the make and model of your mat, and the actions in your body in this pose or that pose.

If it is your mat, some of them are coated. In some of those cases the coating wears off or can be washed off. Thiss is only with new mats. Other mats are not well designed and they have coatings that DO NOT wear off and do not provide ample traction for a perspiring student.

You can try a warm water wash for your mat. I perfer Dr. Bronner's liquid soap as it will take the chrome off a bumper hitch. Hand wash the mat in the tub with the liquid soap. Rinse the mat well and roll in beach towels to dry. Then hang to let the mat fully dry.

If that does not work and you are not able to shift the weight in your downward facing dog pose to support you, then consider a more tacky (traction not fashion) mat. The Jade Harmony mats are very, very sticky. But I also find them a tad smelly - though they are natural rubber. Apparently natural rubber smells like very old feet. Such is life.