About Focus Alignment™

While yoga is often perceived as purely a form of physical exercise, anyone who has practiced it for a while can likely attest to its significant mental as well as physical benefits. At its core, yoga involves moving your body through various positions that require a combination of flexibility, strength, as well as a considerable amount of mental focus. Alongside the physical aspect, much of the practice involves learning how to shift your attention away from the stressors of daily life to cultivate a state of mindful presence.

However, in today's increasingly challenging and uncertain world, where maintaining a regular yoga practice is perhaps more important than ever, developing, and sustaining focus can be a struggle. Many of us have likely experienced stepping onto our mat at the beginning of class with our minds still racing from the stressors of a hectic day.

Until now, the humble yoga mat has played little to no role in fostering and enhancing concentration. Traditionally, the primary role of a yoga mat has been to provide grip and comfort. While over the years there have been mats with decorative patterns and basic markings to aid with positioning and alignment, none have been specifically designed to promote the practitioner's mental focus and concentration during their yoga practice.

Recognizing these challenges, we set out to create a mat specifically aimed at enhancing focus and concentration. By mapping out key positions involved in a standard yoga routine, we designed a graphic pattern inspired by ancient warrior traditions that not only acts as a perfect guide for general alignment but also serves as a consistent built-in focal point to help improve mental focus and concentration, allowing for a more immersive and enriching yoga experience.

By simply directing your gaze towards the mat's pattern and adjusting the positioning of your hands or feet according to the requirements of the position, you can enhance your mental focus and anchor yourself in the present moment. Similar to the lane markings on a highway that guide you and help maintain focus and concentration, especially when distracted, the flowing sequence of parallel lines on the mat provides a simple visual cue that centers your attention on the practice.

Interestingly, when driving, it's not only the parallel lines themselves that improve your focus. It's the act of looking at the lines or gazing at what is directly in front of you that narrows your field of vision, thereby improving concentration. In fact, there is a growing body of scientific research showing how using visual focus can enhance mental focus. However, many of you might recognize that this concept is not new in yoga, where we have long practiced "Drishti," or focused gaze. Yet, until now, the concept of using visual focus to improve mental focus has never been incorporated into the design of a yoga mat.

It is rare to find a single thing that makes a significant difference in our lives. More often, I feel that it is a combination of small actions and things that, when brought together, create meaningful change. Our hope was to develop a new and exciting tool to enhance focus. A mat that would work alongside all the other sensory cues commonly found in yoga studios such as soft music, candles, and incense, as well as the supportive guidance from your favourite yoga teacher. Together, these elements can cultivate a greater sense of focus and peace during what is clearly valuable time spent on the mat.

The Focus Alignment™ pattern now features on:
The WARRIOR PRO+ – yoga mat
The STUDIO WARRIOR – yoga mat
The GECKO WARRIOR Classic – yoga towel
The GECKO WARRIOR Nightfall – yoga towel

Written by agoy’s founder and creative director, Howard Napper