If your yoga mat feels more like a Slip ‘N Slide, you need to know this teacher’s genius trick

Picture this: You order a brand-spanking-new yoga mat that’s ideal for your asana style of choice, don your dearest pair of leggings, and settle in for some flow-y fun. Then the unthinkable happens. Your fingers start slipping forward in your first downward dog. Rather than throwing your hands up and retiring yet another Slip ‘N Slide mat, yoga teacher and physical therapist Lara Heimann has a solution that’ll support even the sweatiest-palmed yogis. (Present!)

She suggests fast-forwarding the natural process of breaking in your mat. “Take a little sandpaper and lightly scrub across the mat where your hands and feet typically are, doing less at first and then testing it out,” she instructs. Repeat the buffing process until the product has your desired level of wear-and-tear.

Once the mat has your back, er, hands in every pose from plank to handstand, you’re ready to flow through your warriors without accidentally landing in the splits. And hey, buying a square of sandpaper will also set you back way less cha-ching than splurging on an additional mat.

If you’re packing up for vacay, these compact mats will fit seamlessly into your suitcase. And when you’re done flowing, clean up your mat with this solution.