Yoga mat as mirror of self*
*apologies to clare cooper marcus
Choosing a yoga mat – at least for many of us – can become something of a mirror to who we are and what our heart seeks at the very moment of the selection. For some, it’s a quick grab at the big box store (usually PVC, always cheap). For others it’s a long research project into all of the many, many available material options. Is it earth-friendly? Sweatshop free? Rubber or TPE? And finally, what is the color that draws you in and makes you respond with a pull of the heart?
I think a lot about color because, well, I love it. And of course I have to when choosing new mat and strap colors. I do not have much of a grasp on the newest market trends in any scientific sense, but respond intuitively to certain color groupings when I start noticing them repeated in the course of the day to day.
I truly believe that we respond to the colors that we need to balance ourselves at any given time in our lives. And certainly, we select the colors that will feed us, like the ones I just chose for the new line of mats.
As regular Twitter followers and Facebook fans (likers?) may know, Lotuspad had a fairly public Near Death Experience some months back. The public aspect came about because I needed to find a buyer for the company, and had hoped to spread the news of the availability far and wide. Wanting to sell the company had little to do with how it was doing. Last year (2009) was actually a phenomenal year for Lotuspad. I grew the company 564% over the previous year and turned a modest profit — very cool for a start up in its second year of business. But family job losses (mine and my husband’s – at the same time) made it look like continuing with the business would be impossible. (Damn recession – please be over, thank you.)
Last summer and fall were a little, well, dark and scary in a lot of ways. I knew I would not be able to continue the business since I had no regular job and no way to buy new inventory. I hustled and was able to get a tiny amount of mats in to get me through the Christmas holidays. I chose black. Now, I love my black mats (my personal mat is black), but there was something very final and somewhat severe about choosing the black that in retrospect was a reflection on my mindset last year.
In April a miracle happened – I was able to get some unexpected funding for Lotuspad the same week I got a full time writing gig. It was as if the clouds parted and the glorious sun shone right when things appeared to be the darkest.
The two new mat styles to me are a reflection of that wonderful feeling of hope and expansion. I have moved Lotuspad colors away from the muted dark colors of the older styles in favor of energetically pleasing spirit-raising hues. One mat is blue and green, the colors of the throat and heart chakras respectively. The other orange and red, and reflect the sacral and base chakras. I just got the samples in today and am in love! I am so excited to share them with you.
As soon as I get some photography in I will be set up for preorders. Yes!!