I love being on my yoga mat—and I’ve found two reasons to love it even more.

A few months ago, while roaming around with Waylon at the Toronto Yoga Conference, learning the ins and outs of networking for elephant (sometimes editors need to step away from the computer and actually talk to people—in person), we drifted into a booth of a mother-daughter run company called Love My Mat.

Full of magical yoga riches, they offered me an eye pillow (stuffed with “organic flax seeds for gentle pressure to block out light and relieve tension around the eyes” and  a touch of lavender, which “works as a headache remedy, antidepressant and helps deepen relaxation”) and a bottle of their organic mat cleaner to review.

I’ve been in heaven every since.

Over the years, in my evolution as a human being, I began to realize that the choices I make on products that I buy (from the food that we eat, to the products I use to clean our home, to what I choose to put on my body) matter.

I choose to invest my dollars in sustainable, eco- and socially-responsible companies, and as much as possible, I shop locally. Because I don’t shop much anymore, when I do spend money, I want to be sure that I’m investing in something I believe in. 

(This isn’t just for my own health, but for the health of the planet. It matters to me how the people that make the products live (that they are paid fair wages and work in secure, safe environments) and it matters to me that other sentient beings, including the earth, aren’t harmed—everything from the where and how, to what will happen to a product when I’m done, makes a difference in this world.)

What I love about this company, Love My Mat, is that they are half an hour away from me and everything is made with thought and care to these details. And, to top if off, their products are so visually pleasing that I’ve just spent the past half hour drooling over their website.

The mat cleaner smells delicious (it contains water, and USDA Certified Organic citrus, lavender and tea tree oils)—and not only does it keep my mat smelling delightful, but I’ve been using it around the house to clean with, too. 

The miracle of nature makes so that these ingredients combined cleans 99 percent of bacteria. It’s also kid, pet and food friendly, so I suppose if I needed a boost to my mason jar full of water, I could add a bit to zing me through the day.

(I’d love it even more if it was in a glass bottle because the plastic bottle makes me cranky.)

The eye pillow is full of good things, flax seeds and lavender scent, as mentioned above and is made out of unique, beautiful, reclaimed fabric. The touch is soothing, the smell calming and the weight of the eye pillow helps me sink serenely into my restorative practice.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to oogle the brightly colored bolsters…

Like elephant reviews on Facebook.