I’ve been blessed with some flexibility when it comes to Yoga, but when I fall out of a balancing pose, I’m always surprised I don’t chip a tooth or bruise my ass. I’ll give it to you that yoga is HARDLY easy, and it doesn’t get any easier with a bad Yoga mat. And that’s what I had for years without realizing it, until I purchased an Ajna Yoga yoga mat. But to be fair, my boyfriend’s mother gave me my first Yoga mat for free, and I was very grateful because I had many enlightening meditation sessions and improvements in Yoga poses that wouldn’t have had on plain ground. The moment I walk on my ocean blue mat, I feel instant calm as a light switch turned on.
However, random pain points would occur on my first Yoga mat—some included wrist pain, knee pain, and tailbone pain—all of them were overlooked because I attributed them to my small “un-athletic” frame. Planks and Downward Dogs were especially hard because they would repetitively hurt my wrist. Still, I remained by my blue mat’s side because we went through so many tearful sessions together…
It was only when I enrolled in my first yoga class in my community college did I feel the need to purchase a new Yoga mat. I was embarrassed that mine was starting to rip and you could see the stubborn stains almost everywhere
With my goal of reducing waste, I embarked on my search for a compostable, biodegradable, or recyclable Yoga mat—even though I wasn’t sure such a product exists, but luckily enough it does! Ajna, a business founded by two sisters, Georgie and Gemma Pearce, creates mats, pillows, and cushions for meditation and yoga that positively impacts people and the environment as well. Their yoga mat is made from organic jute fiber and polymer environmental resin (PER), a more sustainable and biodegradable alternative to what’s out there in traditional yoga mats.
Often compared to cotton, jute is the second most sourced fiber when it comes to world production! We just don’t hear much about it because the world started to switch over to cheaper, less environmentally-friendly synthetic fibers in the last few decades. Jute is sustainable because the plant is by far the quickest to mature (it can take up to 4 months to mature; whereas cotton can take up to 9 months), making it a great renewable resource.
As for the PER in Ajna’s yoga mat, it is the next best alternative to PVC because it moves and functions like rubber but it is biodegradable and contains NO harmful metals or chemicals, let alone smell like it does. It still isn’t the best option, but PER is the best sustainable alternative.
After using it for many months, I can confirm that Ajna’s Jute Yoga Mat is an incredible product, and I am filled with beaming pride to own a mat from them! But to be entirely honest, it was difficult initially to get used to the stickiness and roughness of the jute fiber. After a week’s usage, the mat softened up—and I noticed how stronger my grip was on the mat when practicing my more difficult balancing and strength-building poses. When my knees and wrist gained the support and cushion they’ve been longing for, my body naturally felt more empowered, allowing me the capacity to practice yoga longer than usual.
What did I do with my old mat? I still use it to meditate, but I can’t practice yoga on it anymore because I can feel the slight discomfort and pain in my joints and knees returning. I can’t throw it away because it still serves a purpose, and there’s no need to add more things to the landfill pile.
What other brands do you buy your environmentally sustainable yoga mat from?