And while our mats are the pathway to Zen, they can also be a direct line to germs and bacteria. “Making skin contact with a dirty yoga mat covered in germs and bacteria can lead to skin infections, acne, toenail fungus and even transfer of the herpes virus and staph and strep infections in susceptible individuals,” David A. Greuner, M.D., FACS, FICS, a double board-certified surgeon, writes on mbg. This means that you’ll want to avoid using other people’s mats when possible and always stay diligent about cleaning your own. You’ll be catching a whiff of these essential oil(s) when you’re in child pose or savasana, so be sure to choose ones that appeal to you. If you are sensitive to smells, you might want to experiment with using less oil. Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She’s spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.
