What Holiday gifts to give that yogi in your life while supporting great causes and movements.
A 2016 study by Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance showed Americans alone spent $16 billion on yoga gear and classes. With great purchasing power can come great social responsibility. It is an amazing time for yogi and non-yogi alike to join the conscientious movements out there by supporting brands that create ethically sourced, fair trade, eco-friendly and other cause based products. If you have a cause, more than likely there is a product or service that supports it. After all, yoga is about finding and feeding your soul and in gratitude offering seva (community/global care) to those around you. So, if you or someone you know has been bewitched by the art of yoga then, read on to check out some great yoga products and the causes they support.
Hydros
Give that hot yoga loving yogi in your life hydration with a cause: Hydros water bottle. The company has created a light weight and affordable water bottle with a 5X filtration technology. Hydros filters are made from 100% coconut shell carbon! Just one of their tech filters keeps 300 plastic bottles out of the ocean. Hydros also partners with Oceana to help support ocean conservation. Hydros also makes more than bottles/filters and has a line of home use pitchers, carafes, infusers and more. Their bottles are functional, beautiful and support a great cause.
Spiritual Gangster
Clothes that can go off the mat with tees, crop tops, hoodies for men, women and kids. They started with a tee that launched a line. The philosophy: Good vibes, kindness and connectedness. The cool California style is effortless and conscientious. Spiritual Gangster partners with Feeding America and has donated 11 million meals and are on a mission to end hunger.
Jade Yoga
Jade Yoga’s story started almost a 100 years ago with the company making oriental rugs. They saw a need for non-slip rug pads and continued to evolve into the 70’s where they created their famous yoga mats. Their mats are made of natural rubber which are both eco-friendly and offer great performance. Keeping in-line with nature, they promise to plant a tree for every yoga mat sold. They’ve partnered with Trees for the Future and have planted over a million trees. Their products are also made in the USA.
Beyond Yoga
Body positive California based brand for women with modern yoga styles that promise a fit for every body type from XXS to 3X. Their yoga line promises durability, style and comfort with an array of leggings, tops and sports bras. Besides being a body positive brand they offer responsibly sourced clothing. The Beyond Yoga brand embodies the female empowerment movement in their product and their philosophy.
The Brave Collection
Founder, Jessica Hendricks Yee was moved by the genocide and human trafficking of the Buddhist country of Cambodia. She joined her need to help the underprivileged women of the country with that of her love of exotic jewelry to create The Brave Collection. She works with talented Cambodian women who create their pieces with traditional metalwork techniques. Their pieces are simple and beautiful. Besides providing job opportunities to artisans, the Brave Collection donates 10% of its profits to fighting human trafficking in Cambodia.
Numi Tea
They have the alchemy of tea down and are doing it organically with 100% natural ingredients. Try their specialty teas like flowering tea, holistic teas and emperor’s Pu-erh or their gift set for the yogi in your life. Numi Tea is a true transparent company and their impact report can be found on Numitea.com. They practice sustainability, fair trade and “communi-tea” and Numi also heads H2ope, a non-profit program that provides clean drinking water to farming communities around the world.
The Elephant Pants
Trendy and oh so comfortable. Yogis can lounge in The Elephant Pants or wear them to meditation classes where tight fitted leggings can dig in and distract from the practice. The company also offers a variety of unisex pants, backpacks and tops. They are partnered with International Elephant Foundation and donates to anti-poaching security, habitat protection and more. Considering that an African elephant is killed every 15 minutes, supporting companies like The Elephant Pants can really help these graceful giants thrive.
Great movements are propelled by conscientious people who see themselves as more than consumers needing goods and rather as change makers wanting form, function and great change in one. This may be the time to eat your granola bar and demand it be made with ethically sourced chocolate chips and sustainably sourced acai!
