"Developing a home practice is an important part of the
yoga experience. Finding the time, space and discipline to practice on
your own is an integral step in the journey. But, let's face it, we're
not all lucky enough to have a dedicated room in our house with hard wood floors
to accommodate a safe, productive practice. I know this challenge first
hand, as someone who has had a home yoga practice since 2001 and now lives in a
mostly carpeted home. Once you find the space to lay out your mat, the
surface beneath you often becomes problematic. A yoga mat on top of
carpeted floors is an unstable surface, making standing and balancing poses more
challenging. The softness of the carpet becomes a further hassle if practicing a
vinyasa, power or ashtanga type of yoga with many chaturanga push ups and arm
balances. The carpet beneath your mat takes a toll on the wrists, compressing
the joint. I started researching alternatives for a surface to place
underneath my mat.
Thankfully, an innovative company has come up with an
economical, space efficient, environmentally friendly solution. Welcome
the LifeBoard into your home and under your yoga mat, for a yoga studio-like
experience wherever you practice. The LifeBoard comes in two pieces that
you slide together to create a solid surface just a bit larger than a standard
yoga mat (yes - the Manduka Black Mat fits perfectly on top of the LifeBoard.)
The LifeBoard can be used on top of any soft, unstable surface like carpet or
outdoors on grass or sand for a rigid, secure floor beneath your
mat. Thoughtfully constructed of "recyclable high-density polyethylene
(HDPE) and shipped in boxes made of 100% recycled material," this is a yoga
product that fits in with the Yogic lifestyle. In addition, "several dollars
from each purchase goes to a nonprofit organization called Skyline Center in
Clinton, IA. They provide rehabilitation services and work programs for disabled
adults. They do the shipping and handling for (LifeBoard.)" Attention to details
like these makes LifeBoard a stand out in yoga product
commerce.
In the week I've been
using it, my practice has transformed. My poses are more deeply rooted and I am
able to focus further on my breath, bandhas and drishti without worrying about
instability or wrist pain. I feel like I am assembling my own private
yoga studio when I snap the panels together. The LifeBoard has also made
me more conscious of engaging my core in the transition between upward and
downward facing dog and during jump throughs and jump backs because if I get
lazy, my heavy movements slide my mat forward or backward on the LifeBoard. By
making the conscious effort to engage my energy thereby strengthening and
lightening my more powerful movements, my mat stays squarely on the LifeBoard.
It's almost like getting silent feedback on the quality of your
movements. The LifeBoard is a must have addition to any yoga lover's
collection. The value of this prop is undeniable and can be used for more than
just yoga. The LifeBoard is a solid surface that can be used for any type of
workout you engage in at home or outside like P90X, Insanity, The Firm or
whatever your fitness poison." ~ Lindsay Bern (ACE Certified Personal Trainer and yoga teacher) - Reno, NV Lindsay's blog
"I love my LifeBoard. I had been looking for a portable surface that would allow me to do yoga in my living room. Believe it or not, I was having to do yoga in my kitchen because it was the only flat surface I had to place my mat. Your product is sturdy and does not slip. I love that it separates into two pieces for easy storage and portability." ~ Emma Magana - Lake Elsinore, CA
"The LifeBoard has been an absolute savior for me in my yoga practice. For the past 5 years I have lived in a house which is fully carpeted. The first few weeks upon moving in, I used a piece of plywood under my mat and it did the job. But that piece of plywood belonged to my bed frame which I finally had to put together. Plus, it was bulky to use, ugly and hard to store. I have been searching the Internet since for something that would work and even checked in to some woodworking folks in my town to make me something. It was going to be too expensive to have them design a floor for me and I just couldn't get myself to go buy another piece of plywood and deal with the problems I already mentioned. So, recently I discovered the LifeBoard online and ordered it immediately. The price is right, it's very easy to put together and does the job beautifully. I am so happy to be able to get my balance work back in my home practice! I am currently a certified Pilates Trainer and have been practicing yoga for over 15 years. In a couple of months I will be going through the 200 hour teacher training course with Doug Swenson, a program which complies under the standards of Yoga Alliance® to become a RYT® (Registered Yoga Teacher). Amongst all my peers, clients and students I will pass on the word of this great new product!" ~ Patrice A. - Incline Village, NV
"I don't generally respond to feedback requests for products, but I will say the
LifeBoard has been a very pleasant surprise. I use it on a fairly well-padded
carpet in my living room, and the support is just as good as it was on my hard
composite floor in the kitchen. It is very easy to put together and take apart
with the interlocking hinge, and stores easily under a bed. The only drawback
is that of course there is a slight dropoff and you don't have arm support
against the carpet in supine poses requiring arms out horizontally or overhead. That's a small price to pay for being able to do the rest of my yoga feeling well-grounded and balanced, in a space that is much more conducive to a calming, graceful practice." ~ John Cain - Grand Junction, CO
"I love my LifeBoard! It is the perfect answer for practicing yoga on carpet. I previously had something similar made out of wood, but it was much more expensive and much heavier. LifeBoard is just right!" ~ Geri G. Sun City West, AZ
"What a great product! I have been using
LifeBoard twice a week for 3 weeks now and the changes to my home
practice are measurable. I cannot wait till spring and use my LifeBoard
outdoors. Thanks so much!" ~ Jennifer Muhlenkamp - Englewood, OH
"I just wanted to write and tell you that you are amazing! I
have been looking for a way to stabilize my yoga mat since we moved into a
house that is fully carpeted. Every idea I came up with was either to expense
or my husband said wouldn't work. Then you came into my life. Not only do I
love the board, for several reasons, but I couldn't believe how fast it was
delivered! I waited with great
anticipation for the board from the first time I read that it was being
produced. I think it is great. I very rarely send feedback to companies, so
when I do it is because I strongly believe in the product. Since I wrote to you
I have used it for mat pilates and some center barre ballet exercises and it
works wonderfully for them, too. I am, as my husband calls me, an exercise
junkie. He is a quality control person and he is impressed with the board. He
said it looks well designed and well made. Believe me that that is a huge
compliment to you. I also have MS and sometimes balance is a big problem for
me. Having something sturdy under me for support gives me greater confidence to
do the things I love. So, thank you, thank you,
thank you! You have made me one very happy yogi!" ~ Harriet Driss - Rochester, NY
"VERY, VERY COOL product, exceptionally well engineered! Surprisingly
light but very rigid, with zero sag in the center. Freedom to choose a carpeted space for yoga is wonderful. The ingenious tabs lock the two halves together in such a way as to prevent any displacement side-to-side or up-and-down (absolutely no sagging in the center). The panels are surprisingly light (approximately 17.5 pounds combined) yet are very rigid. Once assembled, you get the impression you are standing on a single sheet of material. A standard yoga mat fits between the cutouts (which serve as handles) and leaves approximately 2 inches of exposed LifeBoard at each end. It was a bit confusing initially connecting the two halves. You cannot connect them with the panels laying on the floor. You must hold a panel vertically in each hand (opposite edge resting on the floor, bottom surface facing you) and allow the wide end of the tabs on one panel to pass through the wide space between the tabs on the other panel. Being careful to keep the tabs interlocked (in the same manner as interlocking the extended fingers of your hands), you swing the opposite ends of the panels away from you, allowing the tabs to mesh snugly together, then lay the LifeBoard on the floor. As stated, the LifeBoard is very rigid, easily providing adequate support for hands, wrists, feet and ankles during yoga practice. I should note the sensation is not identical to that provided by a mat on a hard floor, rather one of a mat on a hard, rigid surface resting on a cushioned surface (obviously). A hard flooring surface is laid on a hard sub-floor resting on rigid joists, the only cushion is that provided by the mat. The degree of cushion (give) you feel on the LifeBoard depends on the carpet on which the platform rests -- thick, long-pile carpet will compress more than short-pile or Berber carpeting. Regardless, support is more than adequate.Worth the wait. Thanks. Best
wishes for your success." ~ K.O. - Atlanta, GA
"The LifeBoard is perfect for my needs because it provides a firm surface for my
yoga practice. It assembles quickly and easily and is not too heavy to manage
nor too bulky to store. Perfect so far and I've used it twice. Thanks for a
great product." ~ Mary O'Hara - Oxnard, CA
"I'm a 5'10" 185-pound person using the LifeBoard for yoga. The board
supports both my weight and my height (long-limbs). I love the board. I've
used it several times now on my thick, new carpeting, and it's far superior for
balance and holding postures than trying to use just a yoga mat on top of
carpet. I do use my mat on top of the board for cushion and the mat fits just
fine and does not slip. Thanks for a great product!" ~ Jenny B. - Atlanta, GA
"I received my LifeBoard less than a month ago and I have been
putting it to use almost daily. I have the black board, perfect for use
in my home on my carpet. Right now I am limited to a home practice and
I had been less than excited to do yoga on my carpet. I searched for
several days to come up with some way to give myself a firm, gripping
surface to practice on without going as far as to practice in my
kitchen! I came across the LifeBoard online and I knew right away it
was going to work great. And it has. Performs beautifully. Just lay it
out, mat down and I am ready to go. The only thing I noticed, which is
not a big deal, is when jumping forward or back, sometimes the entire
board and I slide a little. Very happy with the LifeBoard- it has
brought 'Life' back to my home practice. Thanks for an awesome product!" ~ Jessica Apodaca - Austin, TX
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