Do you want to know why it is so totally worth it to do your research to find a yoga mat that fits your body? Because it is literally the only thing you need to practice yoga. Blocks, straps, blankets, and bolsters can be creatively constructed using other materials, but a yoga mat that works for you cannot be invented on the fly.
Yoga is so versatile that it can be practiced anywhere—in your kitchen, on the beach, in a meadow, on a mountaintop—but this versatility requires a mat that is willing to move with you wherever you go.