Floating Lotus

A great local find. We were in the area and since I am from India I thought to check out the store to see how ‘authentic’ it is. To my surprise it is really a great store having such a good and latest collection. Usually the stores which keeps items from India are pretty sad and never have latest and fresh stock. Floating lotus on the other hand has such a large collection of items from Asia. I ended up buying a few things and was really tempted to buy some more! Definitely a great store to check out if you are in the area.
Also the owner and staff is great and very helping. The whole environment is zen. Don’t miss it!

A nice collection of meditation related items, jewelry, knick knacks and imported goods. The staff was very friendly and clearly passionate about their work and their items. They were a bit pushy about making a purchase though; we couldn’t browse much without being approached by someone. I really liked the upstairs though, which I’ve included a photo of. The room is filled with meditation pillows and textiles, and all around was a good resource for anyone interested in such a thing. I was surprised though that I couldn’t find proper malas, so I would say there is some room for improvement.

Prices are fairly reasonable for imported goods. The website says:
«Together we set high standards and honest prices, employing Fair Trade practices that empower the producers of our handmade goods to reach broader markets while greatly enhancing their employment conditions. Ultimately, this effort works to help alleviate poverty in their community by promoting a more localized and sustainable economy.»
The employers will tell you anything you want to know about the products and will work with you on larger purchases. Love their clothes, décor, meditation cushions, and imported and awesome quality singing bowls.

Owners are wonderful and super knowledgeable about their products. They are passionate about there shop. and it hasn’t seemed to wane in the years I have visited bearskin neck. The shop is pricey most pieces are handmade and that is worth it.

Such a beautiful store, filled with Indian themes.
I love the collections of clothes, jewelry, and even instruments. I mean these people sell SITARS! (and I believe give lessons)
The staff is pretty helpful and nice, but this place is very expensive, so I would bring some money…
Even if you aren’t looking for something to buy, its a fun place to step into and check out.

Two of my other Chinese friends and I walked into Floating Lotus last weekend after spending some time on the beach near Rockport. The first question the male shopkeeper (Justin, I believe) was «are you guys from China?» Despite the fact that we have lived and worked in the US for a long time, we didn’t think we needed to hide anything. As soon as he confirmed that we were from China, he started to lecture us with a condescending tone «I don’t know if you guys in YOUR country understand Fair Trade, but the stuff we sell here are all Fair Trade… you know, helping those people in Tibet, Nepal being driven off their homeland to make a living…» I was shocked by his unjustified hostility towards us. I came to the US when I was a kid, became a citizen, and have spent most my life in the US. I am an active social justice advocate, including helping improve living and education conditions of children in rural Xinjiang area and providing education and work force opportunities in inner cities in the US. Simply because we came from China (even though long time ago) does not mean we support all of Chinese government’s policies. This is like assuming every single American supports invading Iraq and refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol simply because that was the US government official stand. I cannot believe a self-​proclaimed supporter of Fair Trade would discriminate against other people solely based on national origin. That by default, makes you morally inferior, not superior.

I was happy to see this newly opened store on Bearskin Neck during a recent trip to Rockport. There’s a very interesting mix of stalwart stores (like the Chinese collectible stores and the very pricey jewelry stores) and newer, more progressive and much more interesting stores like Floating Lotus. It’s a welcome change– and I hope the trend continues! There are only so many über expensive art galleries and equally expensive jewelry stores that one little downtown can support, and it’s good to see some more color and newer ideas as a shopper.
I found the atmosphere of Floating Lotus extremely relaxing; I’m assuming this is by design. The music was nice, and one of the store keepers demonstrated how to play the metal bowl for us. In fact, both employees were incredibly friendly, but never intrusive as we were left pretty much alone to browse. On the way out, I saw one of the employees very patiently explaining Indian jewelry to a woman– very easy going, and not in a rush to have you buy something or get going like most shops in Rockport.
The prices were reasonable. Imported merchandise is not going to be cheap, especially when it’s good quality like what is featured at Floating Lotus. We were lucky and there was a 50% off sale on clothing going on. My boyfriend got a very crazy green jacket from Nepal (complete with what I now call the elf hood due to its shape) and I bought a nice shirt.
There is an upstairs that features collectibles, instruments, and fabrics. They had the neatest set of dolls, in a couple of different patterns. If I were a doll person, I would definitely have purchased a pair! The price was fantastic for high quality work!
I found the whole experience very soothing. It was a nice break from the hectic pace of Bearskin neck where on warmer days you have so many tourists that there are mobs to get into shops. I hope the Floating Lotus does well and thrives in Rockport, and helps to usher in more stores that have a theme and value good employees over just bilking tourists! If you’re in Rockport, make it a point to check out this store and I promise you’ll come away feeling better than you did when you walked through the door (and maybe with some nice Indian garments!).

I love the Floating Lotus. It is so nice to have a beautiful local Indian store. My style’s really eclectic and bohemian so it’s nice to find things down town that I like. All of the items in the store are fair trade and a lot fo them are crafted by local artisans in several countries including India and Thailand. The married couple that own the store are so nice and the husband Jason? can play almost all of the amazing instruments in the shop that he imported from India. He is really sweet and one time when I was younger, I really wanted this beautiful pink mulberry paper floor lamp he had but I couldn’t afford it so he gave it too me half off. I’m very picky about purses but my favorite purse came from there. They have some fantastic rare pieces if you have the money or just want to look. The other day Jason showed me this antique prayer necklace that was from Nepal. It was one of the most beautiful and ornate necklaces I’ve ever seen. I also heard Jason talking on the phone to a man interested in buying a blue antique glass Buddha that Jason had bought from someone on the side of the road who’d gotten it from a temple excavation site in Bangkok.

Strangely, or maybe not so strangely, «The Neck» of Rockport has evolved into a kind of subdued shakedown street. About 50% of the storefronts are occupied by business savvy new-​agers peddling boho garb and collectibles. I guess this makes sense given the inherited legacy of the «art colony» and that coastlines are real hippie-​magnets.
Floating Lotus offers the best of the «neck» in my opinion –clothing, accessories, and house accoutrements from India and Thailand. In my younger pot-​smoking days I once had the «importer dream» where I imagined my life would be one big vacation. Well, looks like the Floating Lotus folks are living that dream and have set up shop in Rockport of all places!
Their two story shop is rich with colorful textiles and beaded accessories. The buyers have good taste and set their prices reasonably, considering Rockport is such a tourist destination.
I bought two handbags. One was a fair trade one from a women’s weaving collective ($ 57) and the other was a straight up cheap but pretty silk one ($ 10). I would have bought scarves and jewelry too, but my x-​metalhead bf was giving me that look.