ecoYoga mats

I was searching for yoga classes/​centres and didn’t expect to see a listing for yoga mats … BUT surprisingly these are my FAVE mats! About 7 years ago I hopped a train from Falkirk to try my first yoga class. Not knowing what to expect, I left my synthetic plastic mat at home so I had to hire a mat for £1. And oh what a mat! this mat looked and felt so natural. The natural latex was embedded with strands of jute; the smell… AMAZING… the performance — just perfect — non-​slip without being ‘sticky’.
At the end of class I rolled up my natural, earthy mat and reluctantly turned it in. But not before noticing the label on the back… ‘ecoYoga’. The second I got home (remember this was 7 years ago so no smart phones to instantly hit the internet!) I got online and searched for a mat to call my own. I found them! And, surprise, surprise, they were designed by an Edinburgh woman!
They were available in a few earthy colours but I loved the natural Jute and promptly ordered one. It seemed strange paying for delivery so I sent a message and a quick response let me know that I could come round and collect in person!
I brought my gorgeous jute mat home and rolled it out — it looked amazing — so great that I left it out all the time. No better inspiration to practice than having your mat ready and waiting.
The years have passed and I am on my 4^th mat. The one downside is that these, being natural, are biodegradable. Little bits flake off and after 2 years a few tiny holes appeared. OK, they aren’t cheap but the look, feel, smell are so wonderful that I just don’t enjoy any other mats! So, when one wore out, I got another. And the old mats? I’ve cut them into door mats! No waste: D I now have 2 flats (husband is working abroad) so I had to buy another — one for each location! Once again I contacted ecoYoga directly and found out that they had some seconds in stock — still perfectly functional — just some weird patterns in the jute. More character, less money.
I would get these mats no matter where the company was based but it just feels so good to support a local business. Yay Edinburgh! Yay ecoYoga!