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[emily_in_nc]

Crankin, hope you feel better soon! I don't think allergic conjunctivitis is contagious?

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I have a Gaiam travel yoga mat, which is just a thin piece of fabric that's rubberized on one side and napped fabric on the other. It folds into a small square, and it's great for practicing on hotel carpet, or for laying on top of a public mat at a studio if I don't want to carry my own regular mat. I sweat so much that a regular sticky mat turns into a slip'n'slide as soon as things get strenuous, so I usually use it with the absorbent microfiber side up, though it can be a little slippery if my hands are dry to start. Plus, it's machine washable! Mine lasted several years before it finally delaminated, and I got a new one right away. Apparently they're discontinued now, but Amazon still has them in stock.

You're right -- I was thinking of viral conjunctivitis, which is extremely contagious. The allergic variety should not be. My mistake!

Those "mat toppers" (what I call 'em anyway) are great. Our instructors at the yoga studio have them, but I couldn't find one here in Mexico and didn't have room in my luggage to bring one with me from the US, so I have to use a towel on top of my mat as a poor substitute. I hate the towel because it bunches up and leaves lint on my clothes, but I deal with it.. When I first started doing yoga here, I had no idea how much I would sweat, but quickly found that it was downright dangerous to go without a towel on my mat as my feet and hands would slide out from under me from the sweat. Practicing in a hot/humid climate, I sweat buckets, as much as a bike ride on a hot day.

ETA: There are actually even more types of conjunctivitis than I was aware of. An interesting read: http://www.allaboutvision.com/condit...itis-types.htm