Our 10 Favorite Eco-Friendly Yoga Products

We show our love and appreciation for the Earth all year round, but during Earth Awareness Month (every April), we like to make a celebration out of it! This year, we wanted to share ten of our favorite eco-friendly yoga props with our fellow yogis – from mats, to blankets, to clothing, and more! And, with our 25% off Spring Yoga Sale – running from now through Sunday, May 1st – these items won’t break the bank!

1. The Original Eco Yoga Mat

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This mat is as natural as it gets – it’s even biodegradable! It’s a super textured, supremely grippy yoga mat made from all natural rubber tapped from rubber trees and woven with natural jute fibers. Rated #1 by the New York Times (and by many yogis), this mat is sure to help you feel grounded and close to earth during your practice.

2. Cork Yoga Block

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Sustainably harvested from natural cork trees, our Cork Yoga Blocks are essential for every yogi’s prop collection! With a great, firm feel and awesome traction, we can’t help but find ourselves choosing these before a hot yoga class or a few outdoor poses.

 3. Women’s Yoga Clothing by Manduka

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Made for yoga by yogis! We love this environmentally conscious, yet fabulously comfy and cute new collection of women’s clothing by Manduka! With everything from tanks to tops to wraps in a variety of recycled polyester, hemp, and organic cotton, you can’t go wrong. A couple of our favorites? The Open Back Top (30% Hemp/70% Organic Cotton) and the Essential Legging (65% Recycled Polyester/22% Polyester/13% Spandex) shown above!

4. Natural Jute & PER Yoga Mat

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This mat is great for any yoga who loves an easy-to-clean mat with textured grip and all natural materials! Made from PER (polymer environmental resin) and sturdy, natural jute fibers, this mat is incredibly durable and cleans up after even the hottest yoga classes with just a quick wipe down! (Yoga Mat Cleansing Wipe, anyone?)

 5. Mexican Yoga Blankets

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Made from a blend of recycled cotton and acrylic fibers, our signature Mexican Yoga Blankets are sturdy enough for prop use in any class, while still comfortable enough to use as a throw on your couch! Available in three beautiful designs (solid, striped, and solid with thunderbird), these colorful blankets are sure to become a beloved favorite.

6. Eco-Friendly Foam Yoga Blocks

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These are our go-to blocks when out and about, and at only 0.5 pounds each they couldn’t be easier to bring along anywhere you want to practice! These blocks are one of our favorite tried-and-true classics that are friendly to the planet and produce no toxic emissions during production. And, with their textured surface and vibrant color options, they can’t be beat!

7. Hybrid Eco Yoga Mats

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Everything an earth-conscious yogi could ask for in a classic sticky mat! This is one of our favorite signature mats, both for its grip, its environmental friendliness, and its budget friendly price! Plus, it’s available in three thicknesses – 1/8”, 1/6”, and ¼”, so there’s sure to be a size to fit any yogi’s practice!

8. Mysore Practice Rugs

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Our classic Mysore Practice Rugs are woven with 100% all natural cotton yarn, and provide a wonderfully textured and sturdy surface to help you stay grounded throughout your practice. Perfect for use over any yoga mat, our colorful, earth-friendly rugs will absorb sweat, keeping you steady during even the sweatiest practices! Or, try using it solo during an outdoor practice – the natural woven feel of the rug combined with the closeness of the earth is one of our favorite ways to spend a beautiful morning!

 9. Bamboo Yoga Blocks

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Our beautiful, ecologically harvested Bamboo Yoga Blocks are a wonderful prop for any studio or home! Sturdier than many types of standard wood, these blocks provide supreme durability and are much friendlier to our forests than wood harvested using traditional logging methods.

 10. E.C.O. Mat by Prana

 

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We love these lightweight – yet super comfy and supportive – yoga mats by Prana! At only 2.4 pounds, they provide a solid ¼” thickness, which makes them ideal for yogis who prefer an extra supportive mat, but don’t want to be held back by too much weight! They’re also made using entirely non toxic thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and are recyclable and biodegradable!

For all of your eco-friendly yoga prop needs, come visit us today at BarefootYoga.com!

Posted under Eco-Friendly Yoga Products, Health and Fitness, Mysore Practice Rugs, Yoga Clothing, Yoga Gift Ideas, Yoga Mats, Yoga Supplies

This post was written by Carolina on April 25, 2016

Why a Retreat is Better than Partying on Spring Break

Image source: Flickr

By Alberto Güitrón – Spring Break has been widely regarded as the party week par excellence. It’s the time of the year to go crazy and vacation in a warm location; to find a good concert on the beach, wear swimsuits all day, gather with a bunch of people, drink as much as your body can handle, wake up when the sun has long passed the zenith, and repeat the same schedule until your time and money are over.

Isn’t partying like that a bit overrated? Why would you want to get wasted, destroy your liver and come back home feeling like you need another Spring Break? There are definitely better ways to celebrate the beginning of spring than harming your body. One of the ways is to go on a yoga retreat. Not convinced? Then, here are 5 reasons why it is way better than partying all week long:

1. You Actually Get to Fully Experience Beautiful Places

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Image source: Pixabay

So, you’ve found the perfect party at the beach, surrounded by astonishing nature, happening exactly around sunset. Sounds great! However, we all know that you won’t really pay attention to those things around you once the first beer is poured. Soon, you won’t be in the best physical nor mental condition to actually appreciate it and will probably forget to turn your head west when the sun is setting.

On the other hand, during a yoga retreat you are always completely mindful to enjoy whichever destination you choose. And if you don’t think there are good enough places hosting a retreat, think twice, because Cancun, Austin, California, Ibiza and all the other popular Spring Break destinations, also offer several retreats the first few weeks of March.

2. You Would Feel Refreshed When You Return

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Image source: BookYogaRetreats.com

Partying is not easy. And if you have a truly committed party soul, a night that is worth it, should normally be over not earlier than 3 a.m. Going to bed after that time every single day could end up being very exhausting, no matter how young you are. With that rhythm, the vacations are over in the blink of an eye and you come back home begging for a Spring Break 2.0.

If you are going on a yoga retreat, it will be the total opposite. You come back fresh-minded, reenergized and in the best shape of your life. Isn’t it how everybody should feel after vacations?

3. You Make Friends That You Will Actually Remember

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Image source: Apura Yoga

Let’s get back to the brain-cells-destruction-factor of Spring Break partying. Granted, you might make an average of 10 new friends per minute at a party, but how many of them can you actually remember (or want to remember) the next day? Chances are that the number is close to 0.

A yoga retreat gives the opportunity to spend your whole time with the same group of people, really interacting and getting to know each other on a deeper level. Those people could end up being lifelong friends with whom you can have conversations not related to the amount of shots you’ve guzzled down.

4. Photos are better!

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Image source: Feather and Fur

Whether you have that artistic alter ego in the form of a photographer and want to capture the breathtaking views, or just want to show off on Instagram about the amazing Spring Break you had, you will probably want to take lots of pictures. The belief that artists work better under the influence of a substance is probably one of the biggest myths ever, you do need your five senses to capture the best photos!

And if you are not interested in holding a camera, you still look way better on a picture doing an impressive inversion, than holding a cup of a suspicious beverage with a distorted smile on your blurry-eyed face. You don’t want to share those memories with your family, do you?

5. You Make Good Use of Your Money and Free Time

Image source: Torange

A never-ending party can be quite expensive, especially after a few drinks when you start losing control of your wallet. The saddest part is that most of the time it is gone forever with no valuable benefit in return. At a yoga retreat, most of what you need is usually included in the price you paid when you booked. And most importantly, you are investing in your wellness, your body and mind will surely appreciate it.

In addition, by going crazy over Spring Break you are not smartly taking advantage of your free time in a clever manner, because you can party at home any given weekend. For a yoga retreat, you would actually need some time off, so be wise and make good use of it. For you to take full advantage of your time off from school or your job, choose to be wise and make the most of your downtime by booking a yoga retreat!

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Alberto Güitrón is a Community Manager at BookYogaRetreats.com. He is a committed yoga practitioner who still can’t touch the ground with his heels in Downward Dog. One day he’ll do it and he will probably write a story bragging about it.

Posted under Health and Fitness, Yoga Events, Yoga News

This post was written by Barefoot Blog Admin on March 21, 2016

5 Ways to Show Your Sweetheart Love this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is coming up fast! How do you show your love? Well, if you need any help in the area, we’ve listed some of our favorite ways to celebrate the day of love below:

1. Try a new activity together

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This is an awesome thing to do any time of the year – not just on Valentine’s Day! Try out a new activity neither of you have done together, or do something that one of you normally does alone. Does your partner usually go out solo for a morning SUP yoga session? Then try doing it together – you might be surprised how it opens up a new aspect of your partner’s life and brings you both closer together!

2. Give a thoughtful gift

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A thoughtful gift can be many things, from a new yoga mat to replace the old, worn out one they’ve been talking about for ages, or a classic Valentine’s Day bouquet of flowers! The key is to give a gift with intention – think back over things they’ve mentioned wanting, and take time to think about what they would truly enjoy. If they’re an avid yogi, a bolster is a great prop to step up their personal collection. Or, if your sweetheart enjoys meditating, try out one of our beautiful Zafu meditation cushions or silk eye pillows!

3. Do something kind

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There’s nothing so subtle, yet lovely, as doing something thoughtful for your partner. Surprise them with something simple and helpful, like doing the laundry, or ask if they want to come with you for a spontaneous yoga practice out in nature (depending on the weather, of course!). Whatever the action, it’s a sure way to show your partner how much you care.

4. Remember that it’s good to be unique

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It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of Valentine’s Day, but remember that it’s important (and awesome) to stay true to the way you and your partner celebrate each other. Whether it’s meditating together, going on a hike, or simply staying in with some yummy food, do what feels good for you both!

5. Say what you appreciate and love about the other

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This is another thing that’s wonderful to do no matter the time of year. Vocalizing the things you love, appreciate, and value about your significant other is a powerful and loving thing to do. An unexpected side effect is the surprise you may feel by finding out new things that you didn’t even realize your partner appreciated about you, and vice versa.

Come visit us today at BarefootYoga.com for all your Valentine’s Day gift needs at amazing prices!

Posted under Eco-Friendly Yoga Products, Health and Fitness, Meditation, Styles of Yoga, Yoga Gift Ideas, Yoga Mats, Yoga Supplies

This post was written by Carolina on February 11, 2016