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The first thing most people purchase when they decide to begin yoga is a mat. Like running shoes or prayer rugs, yoga mats function as a yogi’s connection to the earth. The mats keep us grounded, protect our bodies and hopefully keep us from slipping as we move through asanas. Luckily for ecologically-minded yoga practitioners, there exists a large number of environmentally friendly yoga companies that produce eco-yoga mats. One of the first places to learn about these mats is on a site such as Elephant Journal. Elephant Journal is committed to sharing information about both yoga and the environment, and they have constant and thorough offering of yoga product reviews. There are many companies to choose from when picking a mat. Here is information on five such brands and the mats they make.
Katy Downey began Lotuspad after the birth of her daughter. She wanted an ecological alternative to the more common PVC plastic mats frequently used. Katy now produces eco-mats for both kids and adults, along with other ecological yoga accessories. Her mats are biodegradable and very grippy so your feet do not slip even during a sweat-inducing power yoga class. In addition to having several color options, lotuspad’s mats are reasonable, $40.00 for adult mats and $28.00 for kids mats.
Many larger companies are also taking charge of the ecological mat business. Gaiam, which produces an extensive collection of both ecological and yoga products, offers several different yoga mats. Among their offerings are Premium Eco Yoga Mat which retails for $49.88 and is PVC-free and made of rubber and cotton, and the Emerald Yoga Mat which is 100% biodegradable rubber costs $29.98. Frequent yoga practitioners can find Gaiam ecological yoga props at their online site or locally at Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, or Barnes and Noble.
Drishti Yoga in Santa Barbara has an extensive online store which offers two of the most popular ecological mat brands: prAna and Manduka. They offer three prAna mats, including the Revolution Sticky Mat designed by John Friend, founder of Anusara yoga, which retails for $90.00 and the E.C.O. Yoga Mat, selling for $44.00 both of which are PVC-free. Drishti also sells Manduka mats including the well respected Black Mat Pro $85-99.00 which is made from eco-certified PVC, in other words, non-emission producing PVC. Manduka makes the eKO mat that is made of 100% non-Amazon forest rubber and is the only mat that has ecological foaming agents that are non-toxic. This latter mat retails for $65.00 for the heavier version and $40.00 for a lighter, travel version. Manduka provides customers a way to recycle their old, non-ecological mats through a collaboration with Recycle Your Mat. To find out more about this program, check out Manduka’s website.
Finally, Jade Yoga has long been known as a maker of widely used, ecologically sound yoga mats. Their mats are made in a sustainable fashion in the United States with 100% rubber and are PVC-free. In addition, Jade Yoga plants a tree for every mat purchased. Their mats are renowned for their non-slip surfaces and thus are perfect for many different styles of yoga. The mats range in price from $59.95 for a Harmony Professional to $99.95 for a Fusion, to finally a Harmony at $71.95. Jade Yoga also makes kids’ mats for $17.95 so your children can begin practicing yoga at an early age in a safe and ecological fashion.
There is a wealth of mat choices for the ecologically conscious yoga practitioner. In addition to picking among different price ranges, thicknesses and colors, yogis can try mats before they use them in order to determine which best suits their needs. Using a mat at a local studio is a great way to insure that your investment is one that will keep you happy and on your mat for a long time.
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