HOW SUSTAINABLE IS YOUR YOGA MAT?
- And why Cork is my new favourite material to practice on
It’s no secret that yoga involves so much more than the physical asana practice when we step on our yoga mats. The Asana practice is only one of the 8 limbs of yoga, which form the principles of the yoga practice and part of the yogic principles involve striving towards living a more mindful lifestyle towards ourself and others.
It is only lately that yoga asana is practiced on colourful rubber mats and leggings and personally, it always felt a bit odd to know that many of the yoga mats and props out there right now are made from materials which are not good for the planet in terms of how they’re produced. Most of the yoga mats available are made from plastic (PVC) which doesn’t really fully break down but, unless recycled, stays on the planet in the form of micro-plastic which we eventually breathe, drink and eat in. Scary, I know. But they are cheap to produce which is probably the main reason they’re so widely available.
You can read more about different yoga mats and their footprints via https://geckoyogamats.com/blogs/gecko-journal/this-is-how-long-your-yoga-mat-will-take-to-decompose.
I’ve always been interested and in the look-out for more sustainable products to use in and out of my yoga practice and I can happily say that luckily there are companies, and luckily more and more so, who also see the paradox of the gap between yogic and non-violent principles and the harmful impact the props we often use for our practices can have on the ecosystem.
One of the best alternatives to classical plastic or rubber yoga mats and blocks I’ve found are props made from cork tree which is a clean, sustainable material from nature able to break down and biodegrade back to nature again. Portuguese cork is only made from the bark of the trees which is harvested only every nine years to maintain the sustainability and continued growth of these trees.
Some months ago I found a Portuguese company called Gecko, which produces yoga mats, blocks, massage balls and mat straps from Portuguese cork. After having a read through their website and the most insightful blog about anything you’d need to know about your yoga mats and props I was convinced. I felt everything they wrote and stood for aligned with all my values - Natural, biodegradable eco-friendly materials which are produced sustainably. Where the cork production is just a short distance away from the small family-run business who produces the actual products. Where everyone in the supply chain receives a fair wage for their work, everything is packaged in recyclable packaging (Link: https://geckoyogamats.com/pages/conscious-supply-chain).
After a few months of using the Gecko products I can say that I am still very much sold - Here are some main reasons why:
First of all, I always feel so good for practicing on these products because it somehow feels holistic and gives a good consciousness.
Cork is naturally a bit soft to touch which gives great cushioning and feels very nice under the hands.
If you’re one of the many people who’s hands tend to sweat during your practice and the mat feels slippier and slippier as the practice gets sweatier then you’d be happy to know that since cork is naturally very absorbent then the mat’s grippiness actually increases the more your hands sweat.
That said, cork is also naturally antimicrobial which makes it actually much more hygienic than other kinds of mats.
They’re hypoallergenic and very durable.
It’s also so easy to clean - after a sweaty practice just let it dry out (also to increase it’s life), and once in every few weeks wipe the mat down with a weak water and Eucalyptus essential oil mix (a few drops will do).
Their cork blocks are nice and solid and not as wobbly like the commonly available light-weight plastic ones.
The massage ball is great for releasing that tight tension gathered to shoulders, back and hips - there’s a video for that below.
One of the things I noticed immediately was how light the mats are to carry around! If you tend to carry your yoga mat around a lot between work and studio or like to travel with it then Gecko mats might be ideal for you. I used to almost always develop a sore neck from the weight of the mat over my shoulders but Gecko mats are so light that I almost don’t event notice it’s on me. (Also their yoga mat strap in their simplicity and minimalism is probably one of my favourites of all!
All in all, I’m not sure why everyone isn’t practicing on cork already and as it looks now I will remain a loyal user. It should be said though that not all cork yoga props are produced the same and some cheaper products still have plastic on the back side or toxic additives added in the production that aren’t so great, not even talking about the social practices towards the producers.
Gecko was so kind to offer all of you a good 15% off their products using the discount code ‘kika-15’ in checkout if you’re also in the search for more sustainable props to practice on!*
* For transparency I must say that although I was lucky to be gifted these products to try, there were no strings attached nor don’t I get any pennies from sharing this with you. What I do get though is to share something I truly value and care about which taking our practice both on and off the mat (pun intended), and supporting companies by buying products which align with the wellbeing of our planet’s and our health.
Read all about Gecko and their products on their website https://geckoyogamats.com/
and don’t forget to have a read through their blog- they really do this with their full hearts.
Have a good practice!
Love,
Kika
PS! I know how sometimes some corners of our bodies get extra tight-tight with tension so I’d love to share this recent video from my member’s page with you.
Tension & trigger point release with a massage ball
Self-massage; 13 min
Intensity: Relaxing-releasing
Sometimes we need something a little extra to release the tension gathered to our shoulders, lower back, hips, and around our spine. In this class I’ll share a few of my favourite exercises you can do with just one massage ball to go deeper into the tissues and release tension from some trigger points and problem-areas. It honestly feels so good and I hope you find it useful and helpful!
