25 Sep How To Boost Your Eco-Friendly Yoga Practice
We all are aware of the current shocking state of our planet. The growing consensus is that we must take action now. Every one of us, no matter who you are, from big corporate boss to hippie, we all are responsible.
It’s great seeing more and more keep cups for our coffee or reusable water bottles at the yoga studios these days. However, sustainability doesn’t end there. You can greenify your whole yoga practice whether you are a dedicated yogi or just dabbling in yoga from time to time. For example, do you know what material your mat or tights are made out of? There are some many great options out there these days that make eco-friendly yoga accessible to everyone. We could almost be forgiven for thinking there are no excuses anymore!
1. Sustainable yoga mats and blocks
If you already own a yoga mat, block, or foam roller, chances are, they’re made out of plastic. It’s best to keep using the yoga paraphernalia you already have until they wear out — but when they do, there are a ton plastic-free options on the market. Jade Yoga produce mats out of natural rubber and blocks out of natural cork. Aussie label, Wobble yoga designs, and hand makes not only colourful yoga bolsters but also beautiful eye pillows. These pillows consist of recycled material, that block out the light and most importantly refilled with Australian Linseed, Lavender – total Savasana bliss out guaranteed. Another Australian label, Kizen the label, creates colourful mat bags and beautiful yoga bolsters, are filled with 100% recycled PET filling. Each bolster sold is saving at least 70 plastic bottles from ending in a landfill or the ocean. As an added bonus, every bolster has a PIS BOLONG coin attached – used in temple offerings blessed by a Balinese Priest.
This is just a small selection of all the fantastic eco-friendly brands out there who design and produce stunning yoga mats, bolsters, accessories to yoga wear.
2. Earth-Friendly mat sprays
We all love heated yoga classes that are not only super hot but also super sweaty. Oh, the bliss. Not so much joy are the puddles of sweat that are on your mat afterwards. A good clean of your mat now and then is a good idea; actually, a light wipe down after every practice would be recommended. Apart from your sweat and some tears, your beloved mat houses a lot of germs that you would want to wipe off. Naturally, you don’t want to use anything chemical on your mat – think about how many times you are touching your mat in child’s pose. Bondi Wash makes yoga mat sprays that will leave your mat clean and smelling fresh. You can easily make your own beautiful smelling anti-bacterial spray without the nasties. Just mix Castille soap with distilled water and a few drops of essential oils, think tea tree, lemon or lavender, to bliss out even more in savasana.
Did you know that all our Power Living studio teams are all making their own mat spray? You can be sure that the sprays you find in the studios are eco-friendly and made with love.
3, Sustainable activewear
The best option is shopping sustainably and eco-friendly yoga wear is secondhand. The rationale behind buying used clothing is that takes items out of the waste stream. You can go browsing in your local op-shops, markets or raid a friend’s closet for “new to you” yoga tights or jumpers. Of course, you can always practice in any leggings, shorts or T-shirts that you already own. Yoga is not a fashion catwalk, although you’d be forgiven for forgetting that whilst scrolling through your Insta feed. Sometimes (we get it) you need the boost of shiny new activewear to give your dwindling motivation some new high.
There are so many brands out there now that offer high quality, beautiful, and sustainable yogi clothes. Bondi local label, nimble activewear, not only uses fabrics made from post-consumer use recycled plastic bottles. The brand also donates one dollar from every online purchase to a life-changing project through its partnership with i = Change. And the best part, you as a customer can choose to which project your donation goes to. Another local Australian online store worth checking out for sustainable and ethical yoga clothing and accessories is Yogi Spirit.
These are super easy and quick tips on how to turn your yoga practice eco-friendly. Most of these items you are most likely already incorporating and ticking off your list. And remember, you don’t need to go out and throw out your not so eco-friendly yoga mat nor worn activewear. You can use them until they fall apart. Perhaps start using a natural mat cleaning spray from now on – if you aren’t already. Already small steps in the right direction matter.
A big shout out to the Power Living studios for their incredible efforts and fantastic work to create and sustain plastic-free yoga studios. Feel free to give the studio crew a high five when you see them next. They are more than happy to chat with you about how you can also achieve a more eco-friendly yoga practice. Plus, they might even share their “secret” essential oil blend they use for the mat spray. You can find the brands as mentioned earlier and many more in the studio boutiques.
To stay in the loop about more local, sustainable initiatives, give your local Power Living studio some love on their Instagram. Plus, you want to be the first to know about all upcoming training and events.
Now spread the word to your yogi friends and start bringing awareness to as many people as possible.
Awareness is the first step to change, yogis.
Written by Green Matters
