Yoga and the Environment?

Practicing yoga for several years has broadened my knowledge of spirituality and health. Each class seemed full of extra teachings regarding how to live the "yogic" lifestyle. As my unbendy and wobbly body moved through the poses and increased it's range of flexibility (Yay I can touch my toes!!) other areas of interest also blossomed and soon I considered myself an "Ecoholic" in tandem to a Yogini. For a while these terms were kept separate... until it became increasingly evident that being "eco-friendly" should actually be a staple in my yogic life.
While practicing yoga we learn that "non-harming" or ahimsa is one of it's most important tenants. Non-harming and respect for all life includes Earth and our environment. Naturally our Western culture's newest obsession of molding yoga to suit our hectic, stressful life has resulted in a focus on being trendy (i.e. Lululemon) as opposed to healthy. It didn't make sense for me to be practicing yoga on a lululemon mat that is full of harmful chemicals and will join the landfill brigade bent on off-gassing for years to come. I also started to wonder why I was wearing yoga clothing that was "conciously formulated in Vancouver" but "made in China"... and created with fabrics that were either synthetic or grown with pesticides (replacing acres of rainforest) or processed using extremely toxic chemicals (i.e. bamboo or lyocell).

So this blog is for all those Yoginis and Yogis out there that are looking for eco-friendly alternatives to their yoga practice and to share ideas! I'll share my discoveries of new environmentally friendly yoga gear, studios, trends and clothing along with discussions on eco-topics and debates (i.e. bamboo vs organic cotton).

Namasté & Blessed Be!