{"id":34498,"date":"2014-11-24T07:15:33","date_gmt":"2014-11-24T12:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=34498"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:10:50","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:10:50","slug":"smartmat-yoga-mat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/tech\/smartmat-yoga-mat\/","title":{"rendered":"Would You Pay $447 for a Yoga SmartMat?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"SmartMat
Photo: SmartMat.com<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Watching texts pop up on your phone while you flow through asanas is a pretty big no-no in the mindfulness-ruled<\/a> yogi universe. But a new SmartMat<\/a> may soon turn the yoga world high-tech \u2014\u00a0meaning the next time your down dog<\/a> is off, you might be hearing about it from your mat, rather than your yoga teacher.<\/p>\n

The latest innovation in the exploding fitness tracker<\/a> field, the SmartMat is a yoga mat that monitors your yoga postures<\/a>, giving you real-time tips to improve your form. Expected to hit living room floors this summer, the mat is currently in production thanks to the success of a massive crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Thus far, yoga lovers have collectively donated more than $280,000 toward making the SmartMat a reality, with many of them opting to pay up to $297 to pre-order their own mat before it\u2019s even been mass produced. While that early-bird pricing may sound steep, it\u2019s still a pretty big discount compared to the mat\u2019s predicted retail value of $447.<\/p>\n

But behind that hefty price tag, there\u2019s some serious technology<\/a>. \u201cSmartMat has advanced sensors built into the material that can detect the placement and weight of your body as you move through your yoga poses<\/a>,\u201d says SmartMat founder Neyma Jahan. The SmartMat team has invested more than $100,000 into research and development for the product, and their mats boast a similar weight, texture and thickness to normal yoga mats (they roll up, too!).<\/p>\n

\"SmartMat
Photo: SmartMat.com<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The SmartMat: Turning Yoga Into Science<\/b><\/h3>\n

While low-tech yogis will typically unfurl their mat and do a few stretches<\/a>, or relax in savasana before class, pre-pose prep is a bit more complex if you\u2019re using a SmartMat. Upon laying out your mat for the first time, you\u2019ll be prompted to input basic information like height, weight, gender and age (no fibbing!). Then, you\u2019ll lie on the mat so it can measure the length of your arms, legs and torso.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s like having a personal instructor with you in your home, 24\/7.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Made for an array of shapes and sizes, the mat was programmed by its creators to recognize 62 yoga poses by having 20 people with varying body types complete them all. Before launching into a full class, your mat and its still-in-development companion app, will guide you through a series of poses so it can get to know your body.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/b>\u00a0The Beginner\u2019s Guide to Every Type of Yoga Out There<\/a><\/p>\n

Once you and your SmartMat are acquainted, the mat is programmed to go through a two-step process every time you strike a pose<\/a>: First, it detects your alignment, making sure that your hands, feet and other body parts are where they should be. If you\u2019re off-kilter, the SmartMat app will give you real-time feedback, either on your tablet or smartphone screen, audibly, or using a combination of the two. To improve your placement, you\u2019ll be given simple instructions such as \u201cMove your right foot forward.\u201d And after you\u2019ve achieved proper alignment, the SmartMat will go on to check your balance<\/a>, guiding you so that your weight is evenly distributed. (\u201cBring more weight into the back<\/a> heel.\u201d)<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/b> The 11 Best Fitness Apps for Yogis<\/a><\/p>\n

The mat\/app duo works in two basic modes: in-home private, which lets you select a class and then guides you through it, and in-class assist, which lets you go with your own flow (or your instructor\u2019s), but still provides tips on how to improve each pose.<\/p>\n

Jahan hopes SmartMat will make yoga more accessible, especially to newbies. \u201cFor beginners, it opens up a new way of doing yoga that is safe, convenient and tactical. It’s like having a personal instructor with you in your home, 24\/7.\u201d More advanced yogis, or those who want to practice without being interrupted, can also pop the mat into Zen mode, allowing it to record poses and review them later on.<\/p>\n

\"SmartMat
Photo: SmartMat.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

High-Tech Helper, or Zen-Destroyer?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Will a SmartMat really improve your flow \u2014\u00a0or will it prevent you from being \u201cpresent\u201d<\/a> in your practice? It depends how you use it, says Kristin McGee, a well-known yoga instructor in Manhattan.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter how experienced we are, we are always\u2026trying to find [our] center,\u201d McGee says, noting that the suggestions from the SmartMat might be helpful in correcting form. However, it may be best to listen to your mat\u2019s audio tips, rather than staring at corrections on your screen while practicing. (Otherwise, you risk straining your neck or throwing your body out of alignment as you struggle to get a good view of your device.)<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/b> 5 Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga<\/a><\/p>\n

McGee notes that people who know the basics of yoga can find perfect posture without technology, too. How? By concentrating on your breathing<\/a>. \u201cYour breath is always your best friend,\u201d she says. \u201cEvery time you watch your breath, you get in the moment. If you\u2019re in the wrong alignment, you may feel like your breath is [restricted].\u201d Use that as a cue to adjust your positioning \u2014 for example, focus on lengthening your spine, grounding your feet, or not pushing as far into the pose.<\/p>\n

Breathing through your poses can also help prevent you from tensing up<\/a>, which is a sure-fire way to throw off your balance. Keeping your gaze ahead, and as the yogis say it, \u2018soft,\u2019 can also help you achieve ease and balance, according to McGee. That\u2019s good advice to follow, even if you do decide to take your ancient practice into the tech age.<\/p>\n

Intrigued? To learn more about SmartMat, head to smartmat.com<\/a> or check out the crowdfunding campaign at <\/i>indiegogo.com<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yoga is going high-tech with a new SmartMat that promises to correct your poses as you go. But will this $447 yoga mat mess with your zen?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":34503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,10,16],"tags":[341,355,167,283,286],"class_list":["post-34498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gear-gadgets","category-tech","category-tracking","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2yoga","tag-technology","tag-tracking","tag-yoga"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34498\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}