WHY I LOVE THIS
VALKA YOGA - PROMOTING YOGA, HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY
Valka Yoga came about because the founder Danny Garg wanted a more sustainable, environmentally friendly and hygienic yoga mat. So he set about creating his own line of yoga props and products with the aim of making high quality and ethically sourced yoga mats that are accessible to everyone.
In 2017 I found my first cork yoga mat on Trademe and it just happened to be a Valka Yoga cork mat. I'd heard about cork yoga mats and was curious to try one. Cork is great for sweaty palms and is naturally antimicrobial plus its a renewable resource that does not require the felling of trees, instead the bark of the cork tree is stripped and processed into corks, tiles, yoga props and other useful items.
Harvested cork oak trees store five times more carbon than unharvested trees since they use additional carbon to regenerate their bark. The bark eventually grows back and can be re-harvested every nine to twelve years. A healthy cork oak that lives to be two hundred years old can be harvested up to sixteen times.
Portugal has the largest number of cork oak trees in the world and that is where Valka Yoga sources their cork from too.
Check out my Mat Review for this mat.
My next Valka Yoga acquisition was the glorious Black Mat. I was luckily enough to be gifted this mat when I taught some yoga session for a Valka Yoga event mid 2022. This is a fabulous mat, nice and grippy, plenty of cushion yet not too heavy to cart around and it's a really good size for just about anyone, sweaty or not ;). It's made of eco polyurethane and natural rubber and will eventually biodegrade. It does show the dust and marks on the black surface but a quick wipe with a soft damp cloth will have it looking spick and span in no time.
My fav bit of Valka Yoga kit and newest purchase is the buckwheat bolster, I actually purchased 12 of these for The Yoga Pantry studio because they are so great! Made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton and filled with 100% organic New Zealand grown buckwheat husk, it will mold to your body and give you ample support, perfect for your home practice of yin and restorative yoga sessions or just as a nice supportive meditation or reading pillow. Everyone should own a bolster at home, they are awesome for all kind of comfort seeking positions. I really can't rave enough about this bolster I love it so much.
Valka Yoga has also generously given me their yoga wheel and yoga bricks to try out and I gotta say they are fab. I have had a yoga wheel with the TPE top for quite a few years now (before they were popular) but once again there's nothing quite like the feel of cork. The Valka Yoga wheel is sturdy and feels so great on backs that have been hunching over a computer all day. Plus they are great fun to play with for balance and core stability and of course to enhance back flexibility.
The cork bricks are my favorite size, in the studio we use both foam and cork blocks, foam blocks are great for poses that may need a bit of softness but you can't beat cork blocks for their stability, comfort and heft. Which makes them not just excellent for support but also for weight training.
I absolutely love using blocks in my practice and while we have 3 inch blocks and 4 inch blocks at the studio, my favorite is definitely the larger 4 inch, so I am delighted with these Valka Yoga Bricks, they are slightly different in texture to the cork blocks I'm used to but they are just as grippy for sweaty hands (maybe even more so), have a decent weight to them and are beautiful and stable for all weight bearing practices.
If you purchase your Valka Yoga products from this link we get a little commission and when you enter the code THEYOGAPANTRY at checkout you get a lovely 10% discount, hurrah!
BORNEO BAGS - BAGS THAT GIVE BACK
Borneo Bags is the brainchild of mother and daughters team Jackie, Sally and Hannah, moved by the plight of the Penan tribe in Borneo they created Borneo Bags to support the last remaining semi nomadic tribe in South East Asia in their fight for survival against deforestation. They are a small kiwi family-run business, based in Mount Eden, Auckland, New Zealand and have all attended yoga classes at The Yoga Pantry over the years. I can personally vouch for these incredible ladies and am so proud of the work they are doing to help give back to this marginalized community.
Having deep roots in Malaysia myself and witnessing the rampant deforestation, and the mistreatment of the aboriginal tribes in Malaysia and Borneo I was instantly drawn to these bags, the story they hold and the simple beauty of these bags and I absolutely had to have one...er three!
The bags above are from my own personal collection and I LOVE THEM so much!
They are sturdy and beautiful and the bags that are made from recyclable strapping can be taken to the beach or used for groceries and easily cleaned or even hosed down if they get dirty.
The yoga mat bag is strong and sturdy and can easily hold a yoga mat and a blanket and the bucket bag is perfect for shopping, a quick overnight trip or a day at the beach.
The rattan shoulder bag is super special to me. I remember my mum weaving rattan rattles and other gifts to give away when I was a small child growing up in Malaysia and I have always loved the traditional rattan weaved mats and bags from Malaysia and Borneo, so of course I had to have one of those as well.
And what makes these bags so special is that each bag comes with the signature of the lady that lovingly weaved it.
"By purchasing a Borneo Bag, you're helping to empower the tribes of this region in their fight for survival. With profits going to education, food, family income, healthcare, child protection and more."
If you are looking for a gift, a new bag or a small way to help a community in need then look no further than Borneo Bag, 100% of the profits go back to the community.
You can purchase from our existing stock (The Yoga Pantry makes a small commission) or head on over the their website to see what else is on offer.