What is it about yoga that we love so much? We all have our reasons for practicing, but what keeps us so religiously driven to this ancient discipline? The answer to that question is unique to each individual, but there are commonalities that inspire us as a yoga community. The desire to grow and encompass inner peace, to envelope mindfulness, to devour the ability to listen to and decipher our inner voice, and most importantly to leave the world behind when we’re on our mat.
Yoga is a thirst to pursue personal growth while honing a skill that slows our chaotic world to a soothing hum, coupled with a need to feel good about the causes we support.
Enter The Willey Family
Chris is a graphic designer, photographer, web designer and part time surfboard builder. Cliff, an aerospace engineer. Michael, also an aerospace engineer designing lightweight composite seats for airlines. Lisa, a nurse at a family practice center and Peta a translator and law assistant. Led by Lisa and Cliff, the Willey Family is an earth conscious and outdoorsy family that fosters a passion for healthy living and mindfulness. Among their many talents and attributes the tie that bonds this incredibly talented family is, you guessed it, yoga.
Check out these mats on Amazon.
It was Chris who changed the direction of this family’s journey. During his quest to source eco-friendly and durable materials for his surfboards he stumbled on a sustainable resource that would change the path of the entire Willey Family. Cork.
Chris began experimenting with cork and found that not only was it easy on his conscience it was the answer to all the problems he faced while trying to source a safe and dependable product for his surfboards. The further he learned of this sustainable, durable and anti-microbial material the more he knew he had so much more to create with this product. One night while working into the daylight hours he created his first cork yoga mat.
Aloha in the Hawaiian language means peace and is a greeting commonly used by the surfing community, projecting warmth and welcome. Chris decided to combine his two passions; yoga + surfing and Yoloha Yoga was born.
The Cork Oak Tree is the only tree in the world that regenerates stripped bark. Cork is collected by peeling the bark of a tree which grows mainly in the Mediterranean area. No trees are cut in the process and they are harvested by hand every 9 years, creating over 100,000 jobs. Harvested trees actually absorb five times more carbon dioxide than unharvested trees.
The underside of the mat is composed of safely recycled rubber, ensuring these mats are comprised of 100% renewable and recyclable materials. A quest that was crucial for Chris when sourcing resources for his mats.
There are so many reasons to love Yoloha. A small family-owned and community grown company focused on a passion for creating eco-friendly products that help us sleep soundly with good conscience. These mats and accessories are handmade in America with an anti-microbial, lightweight and quick-drying surface.
The Willey family cares so much about each personal experience with their mats, they honor a 60-day return policy and even stand by a lifetime guarantee that if you are not content, even 20 years down the road, they will work with you to ensure your happiness.
I have personally spoken with Chris on several occasions and couldn’t help but get caught up in his contagiously positive and engaging attitude towards these mats. He cares so much about the longevity of the mats that none of them are rolled until the day they are shipped. Until then, they lay out and are personally inspected before delivery to ensure they will lay flat for your first class.
Yoloha offers several styles of mats ranging from 1.5mm – 5mm in thickness, depending on your needs. All of them are lightweight ranging from 6lbs to just 1.5lbs for portability. I had the privilege of trying one of their signature mats, part of the Nomad Series called the Tropical Vibes Nomad Cork Mat
It wasn’t out of the box for more than five minutes and even my kids couldn’t stay off of it!
Let me forewarn you, so you can mentally prepare yourself for the attention you are going to get when you walk in with this mat. Every class I attended I knew the second I unrolled my Yoloha Mat I would draw a crowd, with inquiries about everything from the production process to the purchase price. It’s a yogi magnet! Even my cat couldn’t resist!
Once unleashed, you are instantly transformed to a Yoloha state of mind, ok I went a little far there but you get what I’m trying to convey. The design is both soothing and mentally transporting. I even enjoyed the smell of the mat (yes, I just said that). Who knew cork was so enlightening!
I often struggle with certain poses that put too much pressure on my elbows and knees, forcing me to give in before I should. With the combination of the cushion of the cork and foam, I could hold these poses longer and fall deeper in the stretch. I had no idea so much of my success hinged on the mat I was using. The cork also increases surface grip, which in the past was another deal breaker for me. For more, you can even sprinkle a bit of water with your hands on the mat to add grip. The cherry on top (or bottom, depending on how you look at it) is the slip resistant foam on the bottom which is also free of PVC, plasticizers, and latex! You proudly carry this little gem into class!
Yoloha speaks our language, caring for our bodies and our environment so we can namaste with a 100% no worries.
They are also using their success to give back with their Giving Mats for every Giving Nomad Cork Yoga Mat you purchase a mat will be donated to a child in need through the Holistic Life Foundation allowing children in underserved communities a chance to heal with yoga and mindfulness. Amazing!
Yoloha isn’t just about mats, they also offer bag, straps, yoga mat sprays, towels, accessories, and apparel. All available online at YolohaYoga.com
Now that I’ve bragged about my mat, it’s time to give one away!
Yoloha is giving away a Genuine Cork Yoga Mat absolutely free exclusively to TryBelle Magazine readers!
The giveaway is now closed. The winner of the Yoloha Yoga Cork yoga mat is:
Charity Banman
Thank you to all who entered. Stay posted for more!
To Enter All You Have To Do Is:
- Comment below – How would a Yoloha Cork Yoga Mat inspire your personal yoga journey?
- Share this post link on social media. (Yes, we do check before we qualify our winners.)
- Like TryBelle Magazine’s Facebook Page
- Receive a bonus entry for following us on Instagram @TryBelleMag and commenting on our Yoloha Giveaway post.
GIVEAWAY RULES:
- Giveaway contest is International.
- Giveaway contest begins at time of publication: May 25, 2017 and ends June 7, 2017 11:59pm EST.
- Winner(s) will be randomly chosen and notified by email by June 14, 2017.
- Winner(s) must reply to notification email by June 21, 2017 11:59pm EST.
- Failure to accept prize within the designated timeline will result in forfeiture and a new winner(s) may be chosen.
- Decision on winner(s) is final and prize is non-negotiable, non-substitutable, and non-transferable.
- This is a sponsored post and your gift comes directly from Yoloha Yoga.
- Our Legal Terms
Go ahead and enter now so you too can own a Yoloha Genuine Cork Mat and start experiencing the difference!
This is the most beautiful ,peaceful mat I have ever seen . I would love to do. Y yoga class on this mat. I think it would enhance the experience of relaxation even more during my class
A Yoloha Cork Yoga Mat would inspire me with the values they support to stay focused in the moment!
These mats are so pretty!!
I,m sure it would help me find my inner peace
Wow! What a blessed and talented family! Mom and Dad must be prouder than proud!!!! Anyways, I would love a new mat. My most precious one was recently (mis) taken by someone else and the one they left behind just isn’t the same. I would love a new mat….and cork just seems like the right thing to use. 🙂
It would help me being less lazy
This may would bring me back to a beginner’s mind. A new mat is a fresh beginning with challenges and triumphs waiting.
This Yoloha Cork Yoga Mat is so beautiful and eco friendly that I feel inner peace.
I shared on FB
A cork mat, being a natural and sustainable material, is a much better choice than my polyethylene mat.
It make me feel like a more committed yoga pupil instead of somebody who goes to a yoga class
This looks great!
The Yoloha Cork Yoga Mat will inspire my personal yoga journey by leading me to finally pursue studio yoga (could never afford it, so did it from home). Have to show off the mat!
This mat would be perfect for me because I just started practicing yoga at the beginning of this month. I am currently borrowing a mat from a friend, but a Yoloha mat would take my practice to the next level. I commented on your Instagram post with @cl0brien.
I would like this mat to feel more connected to what I’m doing than with a plastic based yoga mat.
I need a new mat very badly! I would love to try your cork map, sounds amazing. I would be more inclined to do more yoga 🙂 Thank you for your time
A Yoloha Cork Yoga mat seems to be the most natural of yoga mats. It would really connect me with nature and my pursuit of inner peace.
Yoloha Cork Yoga mat sounds great and would love to win. Aside from being natural, the cushion support that it provides would help me tremendously with some poses that prove to be an extra challenge for me when it requires more arm and shoulder strength. Thanks for the opportunity!
I have a yoga mat but it freaks me out that it isn’t made of a natural material so I will feel more relaxed and inspired to do yoga on top of a natural material.
bring me closer to nature
It would help me relax ad bring inner peace
I have difficult keeping my hands from sliding in downward facing dog. No matter what mat I use, my hands slowly slide forward and in order not to have a Life Alert moment (“Help! I’ve fallen in down dog and I can’t get up!”) I need to tense my back muscles. Well, that’s not good. So a cork mat that holds me strong and grounded would be ideal. I don’t expect to win, but thank you for having this contest. Yoloha sounds like a fabulous company and one I will patronize sometime in the future ANYWAY. I love how they give away mats to at-risk children and vets. Other companies should follow their example. Thank you again and congratulations to the winner!
Wow, I have the same problem with my knees, in low lunges sometimes they just can’t take the pressure. I would love to see if the yoloha cork mat would help me with that! And it is my birthday this week, so I would feel so special and inspired to continue my yoga journey. Shared via twitter.
I would use this mat all the time! looks great and the quality is also amazing. Maybe one day I’ll finally master the handstand on it…
This mat would inspire me to practice daily. I also like that this is a natural mat much better than the typical yoga mats.
I think a lovely mat like this would inspire me to join a class again
Hi! I think a Yoloha Cork Yoga Mat will inspire me to find my own self trougth Yoga and meditation
Thank you.
The Yoloha Cork Yoga Mat will inspire me to re-start my yoga practice. …(I stopped doing yoga after giving birth to my first child last year).
(P.S. – my Facebook name is Cela Dora)
Having Fibromyalgia for many years I came across Yoga,and I have had great success ,so adding this would greatly increase my chances .Thanks so very much for your generosity.
Its comfortable and good looking, i will be happy
What a beautiful yoga mat, that would inspire me and remind me to be in the moment.
It would be an awesome mat to bring to my weekly classes. I’d use it for pilates too. I’d do all my favorite poses on it. Namaste
It looks like an extremely comfortable mat. It would be great to take along on travels.
A Yoloha Cork Yoga Mat would inspire me as it has such a beautiful looking design to it. It would just make me feel very peaceful but empowered as I am doing my yoga.
I’d love to win as I’m beginning yoga and my mat currently is loaned from the gym. Ewww!! I’d love to have a economically friendly cork mat
How gorgeous! Everything about this yoga mat quietly screams peace and happiness! I’m not a yoga master by any means but I wholeheartedly believe in the benefits of the yoga that I do. 🙂 🙂
Shared on my Twitter
it would help me learn yoga
This yoga mat would defiantly get me motivated to do my yoga everyday instead of only a couple times a week. I would love to show this off at my gym. It is so beautiful.
I’m just starting out with Yoga so this mat would help me get started.
I love this yoga mat because the cork reminds me of connecting with the earth and grounding myself. All things that I should be doing when calming myself and allowing my energy to flow through my poses.
I need a mat to get started!