Not your average “sticky mat” this yoga mat made from natural hemp seeks to be your new favorite eco-conscious, sweat-absorbing, washing machine-friendly practice partner.
So, hemp. It’s natural, it’s earth-friendly, it has a ton of uses from food to clothing to building materials and, until recently, its growth and harvest was illegal in America. Yep. But thanks to some recent legislation and the legalization of marijuana in some parts, hemp is no longer super evil and is now permitted to be grown in 10 states. Good thing our pals in the Great White North have been on the ball. We came across this kickstarter for Supergreen and their Hemp Yoga Mat and thought, either these Canadians are onto something or they’ve smoked too much of their byproducts. (We’re leaning towards both.)
What caught our eye about this hemp mat is not just that it reminds us of the yogis of old contorting their sinewy bodies on woven mats (talk about slippage!) but that it brings up so many potential solutions to the problems we often have with yoga mats today: toxic, unnatural materials, hard to keep clean, lots of slippage requiring extra gear, heavy to tote around, etc.
This mat with its special grippy stitching, machine wash and dry ability and its built-in durability make it an interesting alternative to the “traditional” sticky mats these days. And no one paid us with anything green to say that.
Here’s a close-up:
Anyway, we’d love to know if this mat really “works” and if it might have an effect on what we really connect with when our yoga teacher asks us to press our hands and feet “into the earth.”
If you’re curious too, check out their kickstarter page for more info and to watch the campaign video complete with cute Canadian accents.
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Earlier…
Thank you so much for featuring our project campaign on your excellent website. We are honored! 🙂
Very cute and sort of ecofriendly, but not as ecofriendly as no mat at all or a rug you happen to have around the house. Yoga does NOT require a mat, people!
A great idea, I have donated and I can’t wait until I get my new mat. I agree with Brad, however its necessary to have a yoga mat if you attend a yoga classes.
Thank you David for the support and Bradd for the compliment. I agree that yoga was meant to be practiced out in the wild in the grass and on mountain tops. However with urbanization, we now have yoga studios with hardwood floors and for good hygiene and comfort, a yoga mat is recommended. Even the yogis of old days will use a hemp or sisal mat on the dirt. This is the only yoga mat you will find that does not need a rubber backing, and will provide you with the most effective yoga practice, on a mat
Thank you David for the support and Bradd for the compliment. I agree that yoga was meant to be practiced out in the wild in the grass and on mountain tops. However with urbanization, we now have yoga studios with hardwood floors and for good hygiene and comfort, a yoga mat is recommended. Even the yogis of old days will use a hemp or sisal mat on the dirt. This is the only yoga mat you will find that does not need a rubber backing, and will provide you with the most effective yoga practice, on a mat 🙂
I purchased the hemp mat from supergreen (after the kickstarter had closed). I live in the UK so the cost of the mat plus shipping was quite an expense but I really wanted an all natural mat.
When I received the mat I was really disappointed with the quality. Not the mat material itself, which was really good – but the finishing. It wasn’t anything like the photos, there was no edging tape as shown, just raw edges with loose threads all over. Also the wrapping straps (to hold the mat when rolled) were just single strips of very thin, fraying and roughly cut cut material fixed with sticky back velcro tabs, which just fell off when unwrapping the mat. I wrote 3 times to the makers and and never received a response 🙁
This is a massive shame as if this product lived up to the makers description it would have been fantastic and I would have recommended it to all my yoga friends and students.