New yoga mats arriving on July 28
It’s confirmed. New mats will be in stock and ready to ship on Wednesday, July 28. Hallelujah.
Is PVC the new asbestos?
I’ve been deeply immersed in the story of asbestos lately, as my Twitter followers may have noticed. If you don’t know the story, it’s a shocker – complete with murderous evil corporations, political compliance, and countless victims dead and dying. I highly recommend Michael Bowker’s Fatal Deception for a primer. The scariest thing about asbestos is that it’s still legal here in the US of A. That’s right – a known killer is still LEGAL and may I add, very profitable for US industry. (Take a sec to write to Congress now to get asbestos banned. Seriously, it only takes a second, or maybe two)
Image credit: Glue and Glitter
Which brings me to another toxic killer: PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride). Like asbestos, PVC has been banned by many of the industrialized EXCEPT the US. It’s in a ton of products, including your cheap yoga mat. Yup, every deep inhale on your mat brings just a few more of those carcinogenic phthalates deep into your lungs.
Look, I honestly don’t care whether you buy one of my eco yoga mats or someone else’s (okay, yes I do just a little bit), but please for the love of all that is holy, do not buy a cheap PVC yoga mat. By the way, one of the largest and most respected sellers of yoga mats, yoga DVDs, and suppliers of “green living” products makes and sells PVC yoga mats. Beware.
The below is an excerpt from PVC the new asbestos:
My neighbor and I were having a conversation not long ago and she’d mentioned that she and her family have been looking to replace their doors and windows, frames included. They were considering PVC. By the way, PVC in French is PVC (pey’ vey sey).
Me: “WHY??! Why on earth would you get PVC doors and windows and frames? Or anything PVC for that matter?!”
Her: “Euh, calm down. What is so wrong PVC? It’s convenient because we don’t need to paint it, you know.”
Me: “PVC is terribly toxic for you, your family and the environment. And it’s cheap plastic, and plastic is ugly. If you care about your family, you won’t allow anything made from PVC in your home. Do you know that all hospitals in France had to replace all the PVC because it was endangering lives? It is a health and safety requirement because it is extremely detrimental, but the home improvement industry and the plastics (oil) industry have hidden its danger from the general public. Just like with asbestos, a while ago. No one thought asbestos was hazardous, but look now. Mesothelioma, the cancer specifically related to asbestos in homes skyrocketed. The number of people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma has increased significantly in the past 30 years. Although many advances in treatment have been made, there is no cure for this type of cancer. Industries eventually had to fess up and stop producing it and selling it. And now, you can’t use asbestos anymore. Well, it’s the same with PVC, except that they haven’t gotten to the ‘fess up’ part.” It makes too much money for them so they will continue to sell the cheapest and most toxic kind of plastic known to man until the law says they can’t anymore.
Me: “I’m sure in the 70s, people were saying stuff like, “Oh! We’re getting our home insulated with asbestos! We’re getting asbesto ceilings and floors. Isn’t that great!!!?”
Me: “Today, you’re saying, ‘Oh! we’re getting new PVC windows, doors, gutters, pipes, hoses – isn’t that great!?’ NO. that is not great. PVC is the new asbestos. By the way, you know those vertical window blinds? They’re made of PVC.” (My sweetie calls it Pour Votre Cancer.)
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!!
January 22 is National Bring Your Yoga Mat to Work Day
Lotuspad is hereby declaring that Friday is official Bring Your Yoga Mat to Work Day.
Work can be stressful. Even if it’s not, sitting at a desk in front of a computer for long stretches has the nasty habit of dulling your body and your mind.
Yoga, even in increments of 5-10 minutes, can reduce stress and refocus your mind to perform better both at work and in your life. Don’t have the time to get to class before or after work every day? Why not pull that old yoga mat out of your dusty closet and bring it to to the office? Let it sit, gloriously, next to your desk to lure you towards that one sun salutation, that one headstand or warrior that will shake off the cobwebs and provide fresh blood and oxygen to your body and mind.
Yes, there are plenty of poses you can do without a yoga mat within your confined space, but we’re talking about really stretching out here. And for that there’s nothing better than having a yoga mat right there when you need it. Almost every office has someplace to unroll your old friend with a little privacy, and for the self employed, you have the whole damn place.
We’re even having a super sale on our sleek new black mat so that you can have an extra. Imagine that!
Go ahead, bring that mat with you tomorrow. Give a few minutes of mid-day yoga a chance and you’ll find that flying into the weekend is that much easier. Namaste!
Global Meditation for the December 31 “Blue Moon”
Happy New Year!
This came to me via Maria at Puma Yoga. I thought it was so lovely and wanted to share. Have a wonderful, loving, and prosperous 2010! – Katy
Global Meditation for the
December 31 “Blue Moon”
A message from Sandra Ingerman
We will be experiencing the alignment of the lunar and solar calendars and a rare blue moon on December 31. This will be a potent time.
There are many challenges the world is facing today. And from a mental and egoic place many of us keep searching for answers and methods that will create change.
For thousands of years the teachings have been that the greatest power to heal and to transform is love. In How to Thrive in Changing Times I asked that people do some spiritual work around experiencing the love that went into your creation and the creation of the world. For the creator brought through the formless into form through love.
And within this teaching was my answer to what I wanted to ask you to join me in on the blue moon.
On December 31 throughout the day and evening I invite you to join with me to drop into a deep place of unconditional love. This means opening your heart with absolutely no expectations of what will come from this event.
Place your hands on your heart and breathe deeply into your heart feeling the love for the earth, life, and all that is precious to you. Take some time and get into a true place of love that goes beyond your thinking mind.
Start by experiencing love for yourself and all you have been through to get you to this point in life. And when you feel ready expand your heart and allow your love to flow out to our circle throughout the world. Let’s create a strong focused energy of love just simply pulsating throughout our global community.
Remember that you are part of life and that you cannot give love without receiving love. So as you breathe through your heart allowing love to flow through you remember to breathe in the love so that our circle is complete. The earth, our circle, and the rest of life will not receive your love if you cannot receive the love yourself.
And as you feel yourself part of that pulsation of love allow yourself to experience that flow of love going out to the earth and touching every living being. This includes the elements earth, air, water, and fire and all of life that lives in these elements – the spirit that lives in all things.
We do this to be in service to the planet in the same way we have been guided to for thousands of years. Allow yourself to sink into the true power of love that comes from beyond the thinking mind. Allow it to flow from the depths of your soul. This is true service!!
And when you feel the circle is complete and the unconditional love is flowing, come back and continue to breathe deeply allowing the flow of love to continue and the flow of love to be received by you. Continue this throughout the day into your New Year’s celebrations.
We give thanks for this circle, we give thanks to all of life, and we give thanks for our life!
Much love to you and blessings for the New Year!
Sandra Ingerman
P.S. Please share this email with other groups. Let’s invite many to join our circle in love.
Hey, where’s the hemp?
Lots of you have been wondering when we are going to have the hemp carry strap, hemp practice strap, and Sherpa bag in stock again. Well, we are wondering the same thing! Hemp is, sadly, not an easy material to come by (Hello, President Obama, want to create a real stimulus? Legalize hemp in the the US to help the economy!).
But I digress. The main company I buy my hemp material from has been chronically out of the size I need. I response I bought stock from a different supplier. Unfortunately, that stock was not the high quality weave I needed to create my lovely eco yoga props, so I’m not going to use it. (wanna buy some hemp webbing?)
Believe me, this is not an ideal situation this holiday season. But do know we’re working on it and hope to be stocked up by January.
Want to be put on a waitlist? Custom order a Sherpa yoga bag? Say hello? Please contact us!!
Oh, the joys and challenges of being a very small business!
Yoga jewelry @ Lotuspad
We here at Lotuspad have fallen in love with (no, become obsessed with) the meditative practice of crafting gemstone jewelry. After a long and successful season with SOWA Open Market here in Boston, we’ve finally started adding pieces to our website, just in time for the holidays.
All of our jewelry is inspired by our yoga practice and by nature. We love the meanings behind gemstones and symbols, and create each piece with love and intention. We use only the finest hand crafted silver and gold vermeil for charms.
Please take a look! We’ll be adding new pieces throughout the holidays.
In Boston/Cambridge? Get your mat by cargo bike delivery
We’ve been offering local cargo bike delivery for a modest surcharge for the past few months, and have had lots of takers (of course, you can also pick up your mat at Lotuspad World Headquarters in Inman Sq/Union Sq Somerville), but frankly, we’re a little tired. Tired and weary of putting our pretty eco mats on a truck with our beloved UPS to ride to Rhode Island, only to be driven back up to our area the following day.
Our hearts and affection lie with the wonderful Metro Pedal Power, a cargo bike (bakfiets) delivery service that delivers all over the Boston area. They are a cool woman owned and operated (yay, Wenzday Jane!), and can usually get your mat to you the same day that you order it (no promises!). We’re eating the extra cost of delivery, because, quite frankly, we’re bike fiends (owner Katy’s Boston bike messenger roots run deep), and we think that every ounce of carbon saved makes all of our journeys just a little lighter.
The only exception to this is if you are getting your mat(s) at a super discount. Yes, that does happen. Just look around Twitter for Lotuspad discount codes.
TPE vs rubber yoga mats
If you’ve been on the hunt for a great eco-friendly yoga mat, or just a great yoga mat period, you’ve probably come up against the question of natural vs. synthetic yoga mats.
There are many who love rubber mats for a variety of reasons, such as their biodegradable profile, totally plastic-free make up, and good grip. But a yoga mat is not a one size fits all solution. There is no ‘Best yoga mat” for everyone. I’ve been speaking with a lot of customers who have had bad experiences with rubber yoga mats for a variety of reasons including:
- Their smell. Rubber yoga mats can smell like burnt rubber long after they are unrolled for the first time. A customer brought in one of the most popular rubber mats on the market ONE YEAR after she bought it because the smell was still too gross. I had a yoga class last week and the man next to me had one. The smell was overpowering. Ew! TPE mats become smell-free after a week or so of unrolling.
- They are difficult to clean. Rubber is open cell, which means it absorbs sweat, germs, soap, and anything else it comes into contact with. TPE mats are closed cell, which means they are impervious to moisture, fungus, bacteria, and are very easy to keep clean and non-stinky.
- Latex! People with latex and other chemical sensitivities and allergies beware: rubber mats contain latex. TPE contains no latex at all.
- Their weight. Sure your arms are buff from yoga, but do you really want to carry around a mat that weighs up to 5 to 8 pounds? Little kids especially need a lightweight mat. Lotuspads and other TPE mats are super light and soft. Our heaviest mat weighs only 2 lbs 5 oz.
- Their cost. $60 -$95 for a yoga mat? No thanks! Our beautiful mats are only $40, and we are always offering promo codes and specials to make our beautiful yoga mats even more afforable during this difficult economic time.
Black eco yoga mats are coming!
Oh yes. Black. Just plain black mats are on their way as I write. We’ve had a lot of requests for a solid black mat and we’re as excited to see them as you are. Why black? Dirt hiding, go with everything, simple and profound in its simplicity – black.
As I do with all of my new colors, I’m thinking about what mat sling styles will go great with this new color. And you know what? They all will.
The new mats will be in mid-November, maybe earlier.
UPDATE – they’re here.