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that supported them but we were reassured
that the fundamentals of what yoga stands
for were still within them all. We breathed
easier because it was mainly about finding
the practice, teacher and venue that suited
us, while we were still within the bounds of
that higher purpose that justified the time
and energy we poured into it.
Natural materials
A niggling thought of concern started
coming in as writings about harmful
materials were used in making yoga mats,
places where we are meant to be within
reach of the zen, the ultimate bliss that lifts
our beings into better humans. And then
companies reacted and created better
versions of the mats with less chemicals and
less environmental damage ... however, our
overall group of aspiring yogis kept growing
and more mats needed to be produced for
us all to step into the sacred space. Despite
all the improvements, it seems impossible to
turn off the supply of chemicals-laden mats.
Props that promote natural materials have
a place in enabling this balance.
As this trend continues, we can count on
starting to fulfil that prophesy of ‘the road
to hell being paved with good intentions’. We
had only meant to reach for a higher ground
and the side effect became exploiting the
planet for more oil to manufacture PVC
mats, planting more rubber trees and taking
more sap from them for the latex mats...
to name the top two materials that are
used for mats. Let alone the landfill waste
that will burden the earth for years before
decomposing (200 years on average for the
PVC components).
Natural, sustainable and renewable
ingredients need to have a higher
representation in this burgeoning growth,
otherwise our yogic ways are compromised
by the sum of our impact to the world. We’ve
tried to bring them into the mix, but the
same performance that sticky mats offered
was hard to come by on natural surfaces
(hemp, jute, cotton, wool, cork, etc).
These are great starting places and we
owe it to ourselves to keep building on them;
to develop natural products as yoga props.
Wo o l s t o r y
Among these natural materials, wool, as a
natural fibre, is a complete fibre that offers
pretty much all of the qualities sought by
practitioners.
Wool certainly deserves more than a
fleeting consideration when it comes to its
ability to be part of the yoga props portfolio.
It is a fibre that has served humans well
for clothing and protection for the last
8,000 years. It comes with built in moisture
and odour management due to its lanolin
coating of the fibres; it is cushioning and
light; an effective temperature regulator;
naturally antibacterial and fire resistant.
It biodegrades when we are done with
it, feeding the earth with its organic
matter. Wool protects sheep in winters
and summers, across broad temperature
ranges, and has even found its way into
high performance technical sports gear
applications due to its properties in
modern times. Wool has many answers
to the problems we’re trying to solve with
new synthetic materials, it’s up to us to
consider them carefully and fold them into
our arsenal of solutions for a growing yoga
industry.
Knowing that the sheep that produced
the wool have been treated humanely and
ethically and that the wool is traceable,
makes the solution complete, unique and
sustainable.Other considerations
Pausing here to again check in with the
fundamental yogic principles of non-
harming and oneness with the planet: it is
worth acknowledging that wool comes with
concerns surrounding farming intensification
and its potential side effects.
However, there are already sheep being
raised whose wool ends up wasted because
of the substitution with synthetics, and this
puts it at a disadvantage, cost-wise.
As a direct consequence, figures in sheep
stock and wool harvest volumes have been
declining for years across the continents. In
an ever growing world of sophisticated and
demanding consumers, we have seen that
gap being filled with alternatives (the likes of
PVC and latex) which do not hold the answer
to enabling yogis to practice without leaving
the planet in a worse place.
With wool, just like with any other
resource produced for a high value-added
application, there is the risk of its supply
chain being abused.
But concerns can be mitigated with good
controls in place, such as wool traceability
programmes from responsible farmers who
treat their sheep humanely and ethically.
Part of that treatment is that sheep would
suffer if not shorn regularly.
Meanwhile, through usage and demand,
we can keep advancing into a space where
performance is about the holistic total,
rather than just about the pose to be held
on a sticky mat. The natural way forward is
the only way.