For Earth Day 2008, Yoga Retailers Strive to Reduce the Impact of Yoga Products on the Planet
As interest in yoga continues to grow in America, concern has mounted about the environmental impact of millions of yoga mats and other yoga "props" made with toxic chemicals or non-renewable resources. To help reduce yoga's impact on the planet, many yoga retailers, including Seattle-based Barefoot Yoga, are starting to offer more earth-friendly alternatives. Barefoot Yoga, one of the oldest online yoga product retailers, now features a wide selection of what it calls "Eco-Yoga Products" on its website at http://www. barefootyoga. com.
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) April 16, 2008 -
Yoga has exploded in popularity in the last few years as a healthful form of exercise for mind and body. An unfortunate side effect of that popularity is the manufacture and purchase of millions of yoga products that may not be so healthy for our planet -- or even for yoga practitioners themselves.
Most yoga mats, one of the most basic yoga tools, are made with toxic chemicals, such as Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC), and are not biodegradable. Many yoga blocks, another useful yoga prop, are produced from unsustainably harvested woods or toxic plastics. Most popular yoga clothing is made from cotton grown with harmful pesticides and herbicides.
As Earth Day 2008 approaches on April 22, an increasing number of yoga supply companies are actively working to reduce yoga's impact on the planet by offering more environmentally friendly yoga products.
Among them is Seattle-based Barefoot Yoga Company, Barefoot Yoga (http://www. barefootyoga. com), one of the oldest online suppliers of yoga products, established a decade ago in 1998.
"Traditionally, yoga is about balance and a respect for nature", says Barefoot Yoga founder and owner Kelly LeFebvre. "But in our modern society, we often opt for the convenience of products that are not in harmony with that natural balance."
"Several years ago, we became concerned about the environmental impact of many of the products we sell," continued LeFebvre, "We decided we could do our part by offering yoga practitioners more earth-friendly alternatives."
Barefoot Yoga's web site now features a growing Barefoot Yoga's Eco-Yoga Products (http://www. barefootyoga. com/Search. bok? category=Eco-Friendly+Products) section, that showcases "green" yoga mats, yoga props and yoga clothing made from non-toxic, organic and sustainably harvested materials. The site also offers suggestions for how to reuse older yoga mats so they don't get tossed in land-fills.
Among the most popular environmentally friendly products on their web site are a selection of Eco Yoga Mats made from natural jute fibers, sustainable rubber plants, or newer synthetic plastics that are PVC free. Barefoot Yoga also offers 100% Cotton Yoga Rugs, the original type of yoga mat first used in India.
In its Eco Yoga Props section the company features yoga blocks made from sustainably grown cork and bamboo, as well as from a non-toxic foam.
Barefoot Yoga's site also showcases yoga clothing made from organically grown cotton, and from sustainably grown hemp and bamboo fibers.
"We are encouraged by the growing interest we've seen in our Eco Yoga products since we started offering them," added LeFebvre. "But this is a long-term commitment on our part. We'll continue to seek out more eco-yoga products to offer, and urge more of our customers to think and buy green."
For more information on Barefoot Yoga Company and its Eco-Yoga Products, visit Barefoot Yoga (http://www. barefootyoga. com) or call 1-877-227-3366.
Contact:
Steve Ladd
Ladd Media
925-254-2052
Http://www. laddmedia. com (http://www. laddmedia. com)
