I am frequently asked: "where do I buy a yoga mat?" Here is a list.

TJ MAX -  has a great selection of mats and yoga clothes.  The mats are of a good thickness, quality and price.
Target
Joblots - mats and blocks, mats tend to be of a thinner but very usable
Walmart
Sports Stores
Barnes and Noble (my first mat came from B&N)

What to look for: look for a textured finish as in the picture to the left.  Check the thickness and decide what you need.  My current mat is thicker than my old one, but it is harder to balance on it.
Some mats come with straps as in the pic on the left.

Julie has plantar fasciitis.   Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the of the fascia that run along the bottom of the foot from the heel to the toes.  The fascia become inflamed when they develop tears.  The inflammation brings on aches and pains especially after heavy use  or after being sedentary (and becoming stiff)  Julie has been using foot massage with balls on her feet with relief ! 
One website I read noted that the fascia tighten overnight as we sleep.  When a person with plantar fasciitis stands in the morning, the fascia are stretched causing pain.  The pain will go away once the fascia are warmed up.  This is where the ball massage helps.  The ball warms up the fascia as it is rolled against the bottom of the foot.  So massaging your feet in the morning is good.
Julie, we are glad your feet are feeling better!

Gene told me the other day that she has neuropathy.  Neuropathy is a condition where the nerve pathways coming from the spine are affected by disease or injury causing pain, numbness and maybe loss of function.  Gene has pain in her feet from neuropathy.  However, since Gene has been doing ball massage with her feet each morning, the pain has diminished!  Gene often will also massage her feet in the night if her feet are bothering her.  Keep up the great work Gene!

Good info about neuropathy:
http://www.webmd.com/brain/understanding-peripheral-neuropathy-basics

This is so cute! Maybe I can teach my cat to do yoga!  Thank you Ellen for sending this video!

This week we will start practicing Upward Extended Foot Pose, Urdhva Prasarita Padasana. It is a great pose to help us with our core.  The pose can be adjusted according to our abilities. 
http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/2362  This connection is to the article from Yoga Journal Magazine.  It does a good job walking us through the pose.  The article gives some general tips and descriptions.  Then it moves us through three progressive steps.  You can stay with one step for awhile or gradually move along.  Towards the end of the article there is a list of ways to refine your pose.  Try this out, but as always, listen to your body finding your edges and carefully moving into the pose.  Click on the picture for a video by Yoga Journal.
The last paragraph is awesome.  It asks the question, "What does core strength mean to a yoga student?"  Physically it means having a strong, steady center.  But in life, having a center that can be still and strong will help us through "the ups and downs of life."