Personalized Cork Yoga Mat

The concept for the cork yoga mats started at a young age growing up in a very eco conscious family who worked with the Sierra Club and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. They taught me the importance of caring for the environment and for yourself. This translated into my first passion, building surfboards and paddle boards. Leaning how toxic and environmentally unfriendly traditional surfboard manufacturing can be, I set out to use non traditional materials that were eco-friendly, longer lasting and better performing. The results of years of experimenting with different materials ended with my discovery of cork. Cork outlasted and outperformed any other material used and best of all it provided a non - slip surface even when wet, eliminating the need for oil based wax or toxic eva foams for traction. In-between creating boards at my shop inside the back corner of my friends brewery, I would practice yoga at a local studio. The progression into my yoga practice basically hit a stand still because I could not get confident enough into warrior or down dog poses. I would be slipping and sliding all over the place and consistently readjusting my mat. Yes, I was guilty of using the cheap PVC mats they let students borrow. One day a light bulb when off in my head, wait a second cork doesn't slip when its wet! Working out of my garage with the help of my dad and mom we set out to create the first prototypes, backing the cork to recycled rubber tire sheets. Bringing them into the local studio, I knew I was onto something special when the teachers would grab the cork mats before any students could get their hands on them. Hearing comments and stories from customers of how their Yoloha mat has transformed their practice on an american made, eco-friendly mat makes all the hard work worth it. -Namaste, Chris Willey and The Willey Family