Downward Facing Dog

Nowadays, everyone practices some form of yoga (or at least claims to!) -- which means if you own a sports bra, you probably own a yoga mat too (unless you're completely and totally flat-chested in which case a) that analogy sucks and b) I'm sorry if I offended you and your itty bitties).

Which is not to say you're actually familiar with the Lotus position or the Mermaid stretch. After all, you may be using the yoga mat as a "Welcome" mat outside your front door or as a fake pile rug to cushion your fat ass while you sit on your hardwood floor and eat a pint of Ben & Jerry's in front of the living room TV (oh, wait, that's not you -- that's me!). In any case, the point is you went out and bought one.

So, assuming you're like most gals and you do the whole gym thing, you'll probably want to look somewhat put together while working out. I mean, let's be real -- even if you don't go overboard and put on make-up to work out (yes, some women do take it that far), it's a competition up in there... Try as you might to just concentrate on "strengthening your core," you're gonna attempt to stretch your leg higher than the next person, wear sharper clothes, and maybe even have a yoga mat that's funky and a bit of a conversational piece (because who doesn't want to stand out from the fray?).

Which is where these Kimpton Style yoga mats come in, with their fun, lifelike designs -- the "Plank" version is designed to look like a piece of wood with a crumbled muffin near the bottom edge; the "Cobra" model features a sneaky little snake lurking in the grass.

Both are eco-friendly, so that means they're PVC, latex, and rubber free, plus they're biodegradable and recyclable. Kimpton Style donates all proceeds from the sale of these mats to the Trust for Public Land Fund, so that's even more of an incentive for you to dazzle 'em at the next yoga class.

$98 each; Visit http://www.kimptonstyle.com