Jade Yoga Mat: Origins
JadeYoga makes the best environmentally-friendly yoga mats. Made from natural rubber and made in the United States. They provide a fantastic grip and are better cushioned than any other mat. They have no PVC or synthetic rubber. Every mat that is sold, they will plant a tree.
Founded by Dean Jerrehian, they were originally making rubber backings for carpets and rugs. They were contacted by a yogi who wanted something better than the artificial rubber mats that they were currently using. Since JadeYoga was already using natural rubber in their work, it only made sense to made yoga mats using this material. Natural rubber has better gripping abilities than the synthetic rubbers. Not only that, but it’s more cushioning and it’s very strong and resilient.
Once they made some samples of their new mats, they sent them out to users around the country. They were an immediate hit! Having a yoga mat that actually gripped when used, was a pleasant surprise by those testing them out. They received many calls about the product and thus the JadeYoga mat was a success.
Jade Yoga Mat: environmentally conscious
Their move to be an environmentally-friendly, natural manufacturer, wasn’t far from normal for Dean Jerrehian. As both a vegetarian and former lawyer for the US EPA, it only made sense. It was important for them to keep manufacturing local to the United States. But at the same time, they wanted to be earth conscious and they partnered up with Trees for the Future. With their partnership, every mat sold results in a tree being planted. This enables them to continue giving back to the earth and building an earth-friendly business.
Jade Yoga Mat: Trees for the Future
Tress for the future not only plants a new tree for each jade yoga mat sold, but they take that one step further in that they work with local communities on projects. By working with these local groups, they encourage the community to take a step forward in enhancing their own town and city by planting new trees and being a part of the process. It’s not just planting a tree, it’s educating as they do it.
Jade Yoga Mat: Off the Mat, Into the World
Not only do Jade Yoga Mat s help plant new trees they are also supporting numerous other causes worldwide. One such group is Off the Mat, Into the World. This organization encourages you to be active in your local or global community. They also have worked with the Africa Yoga Project, which brings programs that promote peace, encourages overall healthy well being, and creates learning opportunities for the communities of East Africa. They continue to reach out to a wide variety of groups and organizations in order to promote better living for the world.
Jade Yoga mat s aren’t 100% rubber and do include both natural and man-made components, however, they have worked hard to ensure that they don’t use any PVCs, heavy metals or ozone depleting products in the construction of the Jade yoga mat. Due to the use of natural rubber, it is possible that there might be a trace of latex proteins in the mat, so it is recommended that anyone with an allergy to latex, avoid using the mat. Since rubber is a natural renewable resource this is an integral part of the eco-friendliness of a Jade Yoga Mat.