It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a Smartphone, it's a smartwatch...nope...it's SmartMat, the latest technological juggernaut of the yoga world. Hmmm...I feel like I'm in some sort of sci fi movie or something. The SmartMat is a sensitized yoga mat (a conductive grid is embedded in the yoga mat material) combined with a Smartphone/tablet app that helps you achieve the "perfect pose" and/or assist you during a yoga class, giving you real time feedback.
I'm not sure whether or not I'm intrigued or horrified. I understand the whys of how the SmartMat came into being. I respect entrepreneurs putting their ideas and creations out into the world. In today's world of technical advance this and technical gadget that, I'm not surprised to see something like this hit the market. After all, if we have wristbands that help us determine how many steps we take, how many calories we burn, etc., then why not have a yoga mat that determines our body weight distribution in a yoga pose, our alignment, etc.?
The question is, is this really necessary -- or welcome -- in a yoga practice? I tend to care less about yoga posture "perfection" and more about movement, breath, and awareness. Who knows, perhaps the SmartMat measures peace of mind as well. Okay, I'll reign in my snarkiness. Seriously, though -- perhaps it's like a hammer: it can be used as a tool but also used to kill someone depending on who's wielding it. If you want a little help with your form so as not to injure yourself, then I suppose the SmartMat would be a great thing. Perhaps it'll be a helpful tool to those with disabilities. Maybe it'll "revolutionize the way people practice yoga." Do we really need to revolutionize our yoga practices? It all started in India with a mat on a ground, no computers or fancy tools or accessories necessary. Then again, if you're someone who gets preoccupied with form and forgets about the other aspects of yoga aside from asana, then perhaps you're thrilled with this technology.
I'm curious myself to see how it's received and how it's used. Hammer or murder weapon? I suppose that remains to be seen. I'll say this though -- I bought a number of health tracking wristbands and wore one or another for months at a time at one point. I enjoyed tracking everything, sure. I enjoyed looking at the visually interesting graphs and charts, blah, blah, blah. Interestingly enough, when I ditched the wristbands, I ended up moving more (for pleasure, not just for results seen in my nifty pie charts), feeling better, and actually loosing weight. Huh. So I ditched the technology and started listening to what I wanted to do vs. what the technological wiz on my wrist dictated? Yep, that worked much better for me. I unplugged my brain and got back into my body and that just felt more right, more natural to me. That, in and of itself, was a greater motivator than a little wristband spitting out colored charts and graphs could ever be.
I'm all about a computer making my life easier, but when it starts calling the shots in my life -- or in my yoga practice -- then I'm done. For me, the jury is still out on the SmartMat. I'm intrigued, sure. I'm also a wee bit disgusted, too. What do you think? Have we lost touch with ourselves thanks to depending so much on technology? Do you think that a SmartMat will enhance your yoga practice (notice I said enhance, NOT improve -- there's a difference)? Is this hammer buidling something or murdering someone (it was the butler in the library with a hammer...a little funny for all of you Clue fans out there)?
Are we dumbing ourselves down or getting smart?
Namaste!
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