"Do you think that practice of yoga in a surface like a mattress instead of floor, could be really dangerous for the spine? Can someone tell me if I can have any serious problem in my back for practising in a soft surface?" Excellent questions asked by a friend on Facebook, do you have any other ideas?

Nitin: yes it is.
yoga must be done near soil land. or bank of river ,sea or pond

Ellen: Why not inside your house on a hard floor with a mat?

Bianca: Sure it´s dangerous !People should improove another way to practise Yoga :o) I feel sooo bad when I used to do this way..:o(

Mei: for mattresses, it's difficult for you to connect and engage your muscles because of the soft surface. a yoga mat at least is best

Sita: I would doubt you have a serious problem with your spine unless you are hurting in some way. I think though that practicing on too soft a surface for a long time would be bad. If there is room to walk next to the bed there is room to do a few simple asanas in that space, like seated forward bend, standing forward bend, fish, cobra; a mat is not required to fit in the space in order to do yoga. Other options are to do yoga outside if there is no place inside. Can the mattress be rolled up or tipped against the wall to make space?

Keerthana: floor is not good to practice yoga on.and practicing on matress is not at all good!! both the concepts the basically wrong. use yoga mat on the floor or any mat. for spine, practice some yogasanas specially meant for spine.

Sita: A mat is not needed. A towel works just as well. Mats have only been around a couple decades and yoga has been around for millenia. Mats are nice, and feel good, but a luxury and not a necessity.

Victoria: I agree... I practise over the floor when I had more space, with a blanket and it´s perfect...

Keerthana: while doing suryanamaskarams, towel will not stay stable in place. so mat is comfortable.a normal mat used to sit on is enough. not necessarily a yoga mat. but i do suryanamaskar on plain floor and then yoganidhra on mat or towel because mat too doesnt stay firm to me.

Angele: Inside carpet is best

Sita: @Keerthana: True, towels won't stay in place well for sun salutations. The important thing is to be creative and figure out a way... if you want yoga bad enough there is no obstacle you can't overcome, IMHO.

Keerthana: i use mat which we use to rest our feet on while sitting on sofa. the size is perfect. yes we can manage but we do 6 rounds 12 rounds, quite tiresome to manage the towels too. thick bedspreads are better.

Praveena: Sticky yoga mat comes in handy while doing yoga.But traditionally one used to do yoga on a white mat so that the energy we produce by doing asanas can be directed back to the body as white reflects and not absorbs.

Mei: i love this discussion, it serves as a gentle reminder to us to go back to basics and stop desiring for all the new-fangled 'yoga-stuff' that's flooding the market these days.

Jolene: Thanks for the discussion, it is very helpful

Jake: I believe yoga should be practiced out doors. Connecting to the Earth is an important part of my yoga practice (mostly because I can't reach for the sky with a ceiling fan above me!) Also, when it comes to using comforters, mats, pads, etc. I find the softer the surface then the harder it is to keep your balance through some asanas. Practicing yoga on a soft surface can also be compared to slouching, just not good for the spine, especially after a long period of time.




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