Filling Sandbags

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Lisa Pratt

Filling Sandbags

Halfmoon sandbags are made of heavy layered cotton with two zippered closures. Below are instructions to fill your sandbag without getting sand in the zipper, which could jam the zipper teeth.

You will need:

• dry, sterilized play box sand (from a building supply store)

• a wide mouth funnel or a plastic bottle with the   bottom cut out

• a scale

How to fill your sandbag:

1. To prevent your sandbag from tipping over while you are filling it, wrap the handle around your wrist and hold the bag upright as you pour the sand in. Once the the bag has some sand in it, it will be more stable and you can lessen your grip.

2. Open both zippers and insert a funnel.

3. Slowly pour the sand into the bag using a cup and taking care not to spill the sand on the zipper.

4. Remove the funnel carefully and check that the zipper is sand-free. Sand can jam the zipper or prevent it from closing properly. Close both zippers locking the zipper pulls down.

5. Fill the bag to the correct weight but don’t fill it up all the way. If you have two sandbags they should be filled to the same weight.

Keep your sandbag dry and please don’t drop it! The weight can split the seam. They are much easier to use if they aren’t too full so that they drape and stay put. Use your sandbag to bring weight, awareness and openness to your yoga poses.


Categories: Sandbags | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments

Contest: Rename the Camel Cushion

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Lisa Pratt

Camel Cushion – This Gem Needs a New Name!

The Halfmoon Camel Cushion – is it a bolster? A cushion? Child-minding prop? Furniture piece for your home? The answer is all of the above and more!  It’s a favourite around here in every way except for its name. This is where you come in. The name reflects the shape but in no way, does it speak to its functionality, versatility and its charm. This cute as a button prop is a sitting cushion, doubles as a bolster, props up your baby, looks great around a coffee table…you get the picture. We would love your help in coming up with a new name for it. Post your ideas in the comments section below and the winner will get their very own (insert new brilliant name) cushion!

 Currently, you can get the Camel Cushion in two sizes: gentle: 8” x 18” x 6” and  deep: 8″ x 18″ x 8″ referring to the steepness of the arc.

Features:

• filled with buckwheat hulls

• adjustable

• comes with a handle

• Handcrafted in Vancouver

 Benefits:

• use it as a sitting or meditation cushion in kneeling posture

• sitting or meditation in lotus

• forms to the contour of your spine when you lie over it

• supportive upper back, chest and heart opener

Final Word:

• versatile cushion that doubles as a bolster

• comforting, results-oriented support for your upper back and chest

• delivers on functionality

Got any ideas? Post your name suggestions below!

 

Categories: Camel Cushion Contest, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | 78 Comments

Adding Weight to Create Space: The Yoga Sandbag

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Lisa Pratt

The Sandbag. It’s a beauty of a yoga prop that doesn’t get the attention it deserves – a real diamond in the rough. Think of that moment in class when you’re in Child’s Pose and the teacher places his or her hands on your lower back, leans in and settles you right down. Feels great, right? The weighted comfort of the Sandbag on your body is just like having the loving hands of your teacher apply pressure exactly where you need it, for as long as you need it. Meghan Goodman, a Vancouver yoga instructor shines some light on the benefits of using this stellar prop, as well as some practical how-to tips.

Adding Weight to Create Space: The Yoga Sandbag

An important action that can be difficult to find in yoga poses is “weight”, “grounding”, or “rooting,” as yoga teachers sometimes say. An excellent prop to experience these sensations is a yoga Sandbag. For example, in Dandasana (staff pose), a Sandbag placed on top of each thigh will “root” the thighs more towards the ground. We know from Newton’s law of motion that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, so the more you root the thighs down in Dandasana, the more the spine and chest can find upward length and lift.

Dadasana (staff pose):

Similarly, sandbags can be placed on each top thigh in the wide-legged hip stretch Upavishta Konasana, seated Vajrasana (thunderbolt pose), Virasana (hero’s pose), Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose) and Janu Sirsasana (head-to-knee forward bend). As you add more weight to these poses, it is important to stay aware of the sensations in the knees and to make sure there is no pain there. If you are new to these poses, work with an experienced teacher before increasing the level of sensation with a sandbag, and be mindful how you lift and move them throughout your practice.

Upavishta Konasana (wide-angle seated forward bend):
Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose):
Janu Sirsasana (head-to-knee forward bend):

Another safe and effective use of a sandbag is in the leg stretches, Supta Padangusthasana 1 and 2. Lying on your back in Supta Tadasana, place a sandbag on the top of your left thigh to encourage it to press down towards the floor. Bend your right knee and hug the shin towards your chest. Place a strap around the right foot and hold one end of the strap in each hand, then extend the right leg towards the ceiling. If you cannot straighten the right leg to ninety degrees, move the right leg farther away from your torso but maintain the hips level and the left leg pressing downward into the floor. As the left thigh roots down, there is potential for more freedom to come to the right leg.

Supta Padangusthasana 1 (reclining big toe pose):
For Leg Stretch 2, take both sides of the strap in your right hand and move the right leg to the right side. Stay conscious of the left leg as your anchor, and resist it from rolling over to the right. After a few deep, relaxed breaths, bring the right leg back to centre, take the strap off and extend the leg back to the floor. Pause and feel the difference on the two sides before repeating on the other side.

Supta Padangusthasana 2 (reclining big toe pose variation):

There are many benefits to incorporating props into an asana practice. Props can create an imprint in the body of what the pose should feel like when properly aligned. These imprints help the body remember the alignment once the props are removed, opening new pathways and correcting old habits. Props can also open the door to restorative yoga, which can be both relaxing and re-energizing. This form of yoga is helpful when you are feeling too tired to exercise, and even more drained from lack of exercising.

Viparita Karani (legs up the wall):

 

 

Balasana (child’s pose):

To counter the effects gravity has on the legs, place a sandbag on the soles of your feet in Viparita Karani (legs up the wall). The extra weight on the feet will help you to feel the actions of the legs flowing back down towards the pelvis, and encourage more release in the abdomen and lower back. For some students, using a bolster or folded blanket under the pelvis will also assist in opening the chest more, and allow for deeper breath work in this gentle inversion.  Finally, using a sandbag on the lower back in Balasana (child’s pose), or on the top of each thigh, parallel to the crease of the groin in Savasana, will soothe the body. I encourage you to try all of these poses without a sandbag, and then again with one. Experience the difference and discover what works for you. Even this simple exercise will bring more awareness and presence into your practice.

Savasana (corpse pose):

Meghan Goodman is a Vancouver yoga instructor with Vinyasa training from Flow Yoga. She is currently working towards a certification in Iyengar Yoga under the guidance of training teacher Louie Ettling. Meghan teaches regularly at Flow Yoga, East Side Yoga and Green Room Yoga. Join Meghan for a workshop on “Special Practices for Women” at East Side Yoga, April 7th 3-5pm, 2012. www.meghangoodman.wordpress.com

To decrease shipping costs, Halfmoon Sandbags are sent empty – click here for instructions on how to fill your Sandbag. Do you use Sandbags in your practice? Tell us about it!

More posts you might enjoy:

The Mighty Bolster: A Comparison

Wool Yoga Blanket: Lie Back and Breathe Deep

Prenatal Yoga Props: Prop Up Your Prenatal Practice

Categories: Sandbags | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

From the lunch table – Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

Posted on January 16, 2012 by halfmoon

We love to eat lunch together at the Halfmoon Warehouse. Each day we take turns providing lunch for the entire gang. This particular one hit the spot on a cold, snowy day and we wanted to share the recipe with you!

 

Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

4 yams – baked, peeled, and mashed- add lots of butter

19oz can of black beans – drain and rinse well

head of Broccoli- steamed but slightly crunchy

bunch of carrots- steamed but slightly crunchy

1 sm white onion – chopped and pan fried

head of garlic – chopped and pan fried with onions

spicy hummus – 2 cups

jalapeno gouda – shredded

feta cheese – crumbled

 Layers from bottom up!

1. Black Beans

2. Broccoli/Carrots

3. onions/garlic/feta cheese

4. Spicy Hummus

5. yams

6. shredded gouda to cover the yams

 

Enjoy :)

Categories: Anything Goes | Leave a comment

Keeping Cool As You Fire Up Your Resolutions

Posted on January 3, 2012 by halfmoon

With the New Year upon us, many people have set intentions to jump-start their yoga routines. The root of these intentions can vary widely, but a common thread is to lean down (shed the holiday calories), increase energy, and reduce stress (another common by-product of holiday festivities). Kreg Weiss, co-founder of My Yoga Online, shares with us his thoughts on how to keep our New Year’s resolutions grounded by balancing out the warmth of a yoga workout with the cooling elements of restorative poses.

Keeping Cool As You Fire Up Your Resolutions

The immediate notion behind fulfilling these resolution themes is to shift into a steady schedule of vigorous practices like vinyasa yoga. The sequencing in vigorous practices creates an ample vehicle to jolt the metabolism into high gear and help shed pounds. What is sometimes neglected is the opportunity to fully delve into the practice of tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system and balancing out the stimulating warmth with a substantial dose of internal cooling.

The overall concept of ‘yoga’ and ‘union’ becomes more apparent as we balance out the stimulating warmth of vinyasa with the earthy calmness and cooling of yin-style postures. Bring in a bolster, cushion, or other props to settle into places of deep surrender. Give the nervous system permission to savor true states of parasympathetic vibration. As we absorb the benefits of the vinyasa practice, these cooling phases become a bridge to carry our practice into the rest of the day. Prana becomes grounded, external stressors become less relevant, and the benefits of our practice become enhanced into our daily wellness routines.

One of the key benefits, especially for those seeking to improve body weight composition, is the rebalancing of the adrenal glands. As the body surrenders in extended cooling poses we can mimic this release mentally and emotionally. The purging of chronic stress and anxiety helps turn off the adrenal glands and the production of stress-related cortisol hormones. Cortisol production is accompanied by the production of insulin. If we exist in chronic states of stress, the production of insulin signals the body to uptake food energy as fat into fat cells. Therefore, by training the body and nervous system to purge stress, we readily improve our capacity to manage healthy body weight.

Consider (as teachers and as participants) integrating a generous amount of yin/restorative style poses and sequences near the end of each practice. Get the props out and dedicate several moments to explore layers of release and grounding. These cooling phases of the practice can dramatically help shift us into deeper states of healing.

Time can fly by in a vinyasa practice, and often we find ourselves with only a few final minutes to pop in a quick Savasana. Consider reserving a solid amount of time to weave in several earthy poses as well as a complete Savasana. Here are some recommended propped-up poses to ground and finish off your vinyasa flow:

*Reclining Bound Angle Pose  (Supta Baddha Konasana)

  • lying with bolster supporting your spine and head and/or having cushions supporting under both knees
*Shoulder Stand Pose  (Salamba Sarvangasana)
  • supported with two blankets folded under your shoulders
*Child’s Pose  (Balasana)
  • lying with a bolster under your head, torso, and pelvis
*One Legged King Pigeon Pose  (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
  • reclining prone with a cushion supporting your forward hip
*Wide-Legged Forward Bend Pose  (Prasarita Padottanasana)
  • bending forward with bolster or block to support the weight of your head and neck
*Legs Up the Wall Pose  (Viparita Karani)
  • elevate your pelvis with a bolster as your legs ascend up the wall
* Corpse Pose  (Savasana)
  • place a bolster under the knees to lessen the pull of the hip flexors on the pelvis
Kreg Weiss is the co-founder of My Yoga Online (http://www.myyogaonline.com) and a certified hatha yoga teacher.  Embracing his training as a kinesiologist, Kreg explores yoga with a purposeful, integrity-driven quality to allow for an experience of connection and reflection while the body finds holistic expansion and renewal.  Learn more about Kreg at his site: KregWeiss.ca
Categories: Restorative Yoga | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lie Back And Breathe Deep

Posted on December 1, 2011 by halfmoon

We are excited to announce the arrival of our new Wool Yoga Blanket. Designed specifically as a yoga prop, it has smooth finished edges that allow it to fold flat creating a perfect surface for restorative poses and shoulder stand. It’s so cozy and versatile, we know you’ll find many other uses for it in your yoga practice and beyond.

This month’s Prop Talk features writer Eve Johnson’s Practice Tip of the Week – her series of articles to help you build a yoga practice into your everyday life. Lie Back and Breathe Deep showcases our Wool Yoga Blanket in a supporting role (!) and is the perfect Tip for the season, providing a simple yet effective strategy to relax and reflect on this past year.

 

 

Eve Johnson’s Practice Tip of the Week: Lie Back and Breathe Deep

Year end is often a time of sorting, when we decide what will stay in our lives, and what will go. How do you know what to toss and what to keep? Try a session of relaxed breathing before you start and you’ll bring extra clarity to the task.

Place two chip-foam blocks, lengthwise, on the centre line of your mat. Place a third block crosswise on top of the block at the head end of the mat. Fold a blanket and line up the smooth fold with the edge of the crosswise block.  You can also use a bolster, lengthwise, with a blanket folded in four under the back of your head. Set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Sit with your knees bent and roll back so the bottom of your ribcage rests on the bottom edge of the blocks or bolster, and the back of your head rests on the blanket. Check that your spine runs down the middle of your props, and your chest feels evenly supported. Lift your pelvis and lengthen your lower back by taking your tailbone toward your ankles. Roll your palms to face the ceiling. The knuckles of your middle fingers should rest easily on the floor. Relax your shoulders. Lengthen your legs one by one and let your feet flop out to the side. If you feel that one side flops more easily than the other, take your feet further apart. Relax your face, soften your eyes. With your lips together and your teeth slightly parted, exhale and relax your jaw. As you exhale, let the weight of your body sink toward the blocks and the floor.

Let your awareness rest on your breath. Notice the moment the exhalation starts, be aware of a soft, even flow of breath, and notice when it ends. At the end of the exhalation, pause. Wait and let the inhalation come by itself. When the timer goes off, let your awareness drift away from your breath. Soften your face and eyes, and rest for a breath or two. Bend your knees, roll to your right hand side, then slowly sit up.

Benefits: Our days are filled with noise and activity, much of it happening inside our own minds. Being still and watching the flow of breath allows us to rest our nervous systems, and to approach the ultimate goal of yoga practice – stilling the fluctuations of thought.

Support under your chest and head will relax your diaphragm and allow you to breathe easily.

Sequence: Breath awareness is a great way to de-stress any time of the day. First thing in the morning it will set a quiet, connected tone for the day. Just before bed it will lead you to a sounder sleep. Do it at the beginning of a longer practice to bring more quiet and focus into your poses. Do it a the end of a longer practice for deeper experience of a quiet mind.

Ouch: If your lower back feels pinched, check that the support is not too close to your waist. If the blocks or bolster are in the right place and the twinges persist, bend your knees, take your feet out to the edges of the mat, and let your knees fall together, or support your knees with a rolled up blanket or bolster.

Sanskrit Corner: Say shah-VAHS-anna. Sava is a corpse. Asana means pose. In Savasana, the body becomes as still as death, while the mind remains quiet, but aware.

Eve Johnson is a certified Iyengar yoga instructor, co-owner of Yoga on 7th in Vancouver, and inventor of the app My Five Minute Yoga Practice. She strongly believes that practicing yoga five minutes a day can change your life. You can make a significant change in your shoulders, hips, core strength and stress levels by taking a small amount of time in your action packed day, to do one pose. Gradually five minutes at a time, yoga will become part of your life. Once that seed is planted, there’s no telling where your practice will lead you. To get started go to www.myfiveminuteyoga.com. 

Categories: Wool Yoga Blanket | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Winter Meditation with Padma

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Lisa Pratt

I’ve meditated for over 23 years and there are a few props that are essential to my practice. First is a good seat to sit on! My favourite is the Halfmoon Zafu. It’s comfortable and forms perfectly to your sit bones, yet is firm enough to support a long sit. I also love to have a Halfmoon Zabuton underneath, just for the warmth and comfort on my ankles and feet.

This winter, take time every day to sit quietly and observe the natural activity in your mind as it is. Get to know your own thinking. Eventually, you can practice focusing your attention on one thought: a positive thought is preferable! With practice, over time, you will naturally begin to notice that behind this level of thinking in the mind, there exists a deep and indescribable spaciousness. Your mind will try to label this with concepts, as it does with everything, but just continue to practice noticing whatever thoughts come along and then look past them again, into the space of no thought.

Little by little, you will become more accustomed to this experience. It is not at all the same as sleep or dullness since you remain very alert and present, watching what and who exists. Your mind might resist this formless space with endless chatter. Accept this as natural, and persevere. You are discovering your own essential being! Meditation is like no other kind of study or practice. Meditation is not any set of ideas or activities, it is the exploration into what exists when there is no thought and no movement. Meditation is the practice of acknowledging the vastness within your own self where you can experience directly the source of your inner reality, health and joy.

Normally we understand topics using the mind’s concepts. We build ideas and then compare these to others to develop a view of the world. Self-knowledge usually refers to the collection of ideas we hold about ourselves: our personality. Any one set of ideas will inevitably be contrary to another set of ideas, and so endless discussions and even fights go on about which ideas are correct and best. Study is needed to sharpen the intellect and analyze the functions of the mind and ego, but more important is our direct experience of our inner space gained by actually meditating. It’s also invaluable to have a very experienced meditation teacher who can guide you through your practice.

Meditation philosophy is fascinating to study, but you cannot understand yourself by study alone since you are not just a collection of concepts. Meditation is the intentional practice of taking time to see beyond your mind’s thoughts into the infinite and formless background space behind all your thoughts, and then resting in the peace and knowledge that you are this pure space of freedom.

Enjoy your meditation and be at ease!

Padma

Padma is one of Canada’s most respected and popular teachers of meditation, yoga and self-realization. Padma has over 30 years of experience in yoga and meditation, including a one-decade advanced meditation retreat in the Himalayas of India, and is certified to teach by the International Meditation Institute of India. For more information on Padma go to www.padmayoga.ca.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Winter Meditation | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Prop Up Your Prenatal Practice

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Lisa Pratt

Props are an essential addition to any yoga practice. They add support and comfort to your postures, help you maintain proper alignment and keep you focused and active in your pose. Props are a natural addition to prenatal yoga, a time in a woman’s life where added ease and support is most welcome! Lou Lynn, a Vancouver-based Prenatal Yoga instructor discussed with me the innies and outies of prenatal yoga and prop use for moms-to-be.

What drew you to teach prenatal yoga?
I have been teaching yoga since 2006 and practicing for 15 years. I became involved in prenatal yoga after practicing at home throughout my first pregnancy. I delivered my child actively and naturally and I felt yoga really facilitated this. I wanted to share this with other moms and so I began to teach prenatal yoga classes. My classes are a gentle hatha practice that embraces all levels of experience and pregnancy.

What are the benefits of a prenatal yoga practice?
Whether you are new to yoga, or a seasoned yogini, the benefits of a Prenatal Practice can be observed both throughout your pregnancy and during the birthing process. Typically, Prenatal Yoga is a gentle yoga that modifies and uses poses that are safe for pregnancy. It incorporates breath work that can be beneficial to giving birth naturally. Many students say the best part is the connection and sharing that naturally unfolds throughout the Prenatal session. Having a community of moms experiencing the same challenges and joys can be a wonderful support.

What role do props play in a prenatal yoga class?
Props are a really valuable addition to any yoga practice. During my prenatal yoga classes, we make use of many props including large bolsters, blankets, foam blocks and straps. I find that as pregnancy progresses and a mom’s belly blooms, the props really make a yoga practice not only possible, but they also provide much needed comfort and support. The physical changes of pregnancy that take place within a woman’s body, often means that we need to modify poses and props help to facilitate this.

Are there any specific poses to avoid while pregnant?
Things to avoid would be poses held for long periods of time, yin yoga, poses lying on your belly after the first trimester, deep twists, deep backbends such as wheel, abdominal work such as boat pose, lying on your back for extended periods of time in your 2nd trimester and beyond, inversion poses such as headstand, handstand because of the risk of falling, jumping and also inverted poses such as down dog and full forward bend after 36 weeks because of the risk of babies turning so late in pregnancy. However if you have a breech baby then practicing lots of down dogs may encourage baby to flip the right way. It’s best to seek out a qualified Prenatal Yoga instructor.

Prop Essentials for a Prenatal Practice at home and in class:

30″ Long Cylindrical Bolster: Handmade at Halfmoon, the Long Cylindrical Bolster is a variation on the traditional favourite. It’s extra length is ideal for a pregnant body, it provides added support, and accommodates the full length of your back and neck.

  • In Corpse Pose (Savasana) the long bolster can be placed either between your legs if lying on your side to support your hips and pelvis or behind the back, running the full length of your spine. The ability to rest on your back especially late into your pregnancy is a real treat!
  • In Child’s Pose (Balasana) place the long bolster across your calves and gently sit back on it as you reach forward, allowing space for your belly. Or place the bolster under your armpits to relieve neck and back pain.
  • For a Gentle Reclining Twist lie on your back with both knees to one side, stretch your arms wide and support your knees by placing a block or bolster between your knees.

 

 

India Cotton Blankets: Designed for gentle cushioning and support, Halfmoon’s India Cotton Blankets are the ideal padding for many poses.

  • In Legs-up-the-Wall pose (Viparita Karani), one or more blankets can be placed under your lower back and sacrum especially after 30 weeks pregnant, to prevent dizziness and prevent cutting off the flow of the artery.  Legs-up-the-Wall pose is a favourite for moms-to-be who wish to alleviate swelling in the legs and prevent varicose veins.
  • In Corpse Pose (Savasana) a blanket (or two) can be placed under your head for cushioning and and under your belly for support and comfort while lying on your side. For added comfort and support for your hips and pelvis, place a bolster between your legs.

 

Cork Blocks: Naturally antibacterial, quiet and sturdy, the Halfmoon Cork Block provides great traction and supports many poses safely and comfortably.

  • In Easy Sitting pose (Sukhasana) place the block under your sit bones so that your knees are lower than your hips – it makes sitting up tall more comfortable.
  • In Seated Forward Bend pose (Paschimottanasana) the block can be used in the same way as Easy Sitting pose to help bring ease to the forward bend.

 

 

Loop Strap: Lightweight and durable, the Halfmoon Loop Strap is easy to use with a fixed loop at one end and a buckle to loop at the other end.

  • In Staff Pose (Dandasana) place the strap around your feet to enable you to sit up taller. This strengthens your back muscles and gives your shoulders and chest a nice stretch.
  • In Cow Face pose (Gomukhasana) you can place the strap between your hands to help hook them together. An amazing stretch for tight shoulders and hips.
  • In Reclining Buddha pose (Sayana Buddhasana)- while lying on your side, use the strap to lift your top leg leg high for a great stretch with less effort.

You can find Lou Lynn at her studio in Burnaby – Yoga Spirit (myyogaspirit.ca) or for more information go to www.littletreeyoga.com- Yoga for the whole family.

Do you have a favourite prenatal instructor in your City? What props do you find most beneficial in your prenatal practice?

Categories: Prenatal Yoga Props | Tags: , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Mighty Bolster: A Comparison

Posted on September 6, 2011 by halfmoon

Halfmoon has been making bolsters for decades – it’s what we know and what we’re known for. Tried and true within the yoga community, Halfmoon bolsters are the industry standard – uncompromised quality and durability. All of our bolsters are individually hand made to ensure their ideal weight and firmness.  The bolster covers are hand sewn with double seams, made from natural fibers and are easily removable and washable, giving your bolster a long life span. Halfmoon bolsters have stood the test of time, they deliver on the performance and durability that an active practice and busy studio demands, keep their snazzy look for many years and have a comfortable support to them that just won’t quit.

There are a hundred and one ways to use a bolster and just as many benefits! It’s an essential wellness prop that can increase your flexibility, correct your posture, enhance your health and change your life. That is a tall order indeed! You can start simply by lying across a bolster for 10 minutes a day. Not only is this a great way to start the day, you will reap the benefits of a strong flexible spine and an open heart.  To help you choose the bolster that suits your needs, we’ve put together this handy dandy comparison chart that outlines the uses, features and benefits and the final word on each.

Categories: Bolster Comparison | Tags: , , , | 5 Comments

Halfmoon Natural Rubber Mat

Posted on August 10, 2011 by halfmoon
The mat. It defines your personal space and becomes a dedicated place of solace for your practice. Much like every part of a building depends on the foundation for its support, the yoga mat is that foundation for your practice. Choosing the perfect mat is personal and requires thoughtful consideration about what you need it to accomplish. 

The Halfmoon Natural Rubber Mat is the newest addition to our mat line-up, and is a great choice for both performance and sustainability.  This mat stands up to the test of time. Suitable for all types of yoga and oh-so-durable, this solid investment piece supports a daily practice, a casual once a week practice and everything in between. All the while loving up the planet – it’s a super mat with super powers!

Made from naturally harvested rubber, it is non-toxic, biodegradable and recyclable. The top layer has a beautiful wood grain look and feel for that pure grip you love. Its closed cell surface keeps the sweat from soaking in for a hygienic, easy to clean and more durable mat.  Need more traction? Flip the mat over to the open cell cushioning bottom layer, for an extra grippy non-slip surface that suits any practice floor.

Together, the dual layers address all of your performance needs for grip and durability and once it reaches the end of its long life, it leaves behind a minimal footprint. Much like all mats, the Halfmoon Natural Rubber Mat needs to be worked in a bit for optimal performance.

The natural smell of the rubber mat will fade over time. The best way to speed up that process is to air it out in a well-ventilated space. For most people, a week or two of this will be sufficient. Just keep it out of the sun! We also recommend that you clean your mat gently by simply wiping the surface on a regular basis with plain water or a gentle cleaner. Always hang it up or lay it flat to dry after cleaning or a rigorous practice.

Halfmoon Natural Rubber Mat Highlights

  • suitable for all styles of yoga
  • dual layers to address performance needs for grip and durability, comfort and traction
  • planet friendly: naturally harvested rubber, biodegradable, recyclable and non-toxic

 

Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment