Puma Yoga

Green Yoga Studio

What does yoga, practicing yoga or a yoga studio have in common with the words 'going green?'. The reality is we are all interconnected; to one another, the planet, all living things. Yoga offers us a way of thinking, moving and being that encourages harmony and awareness in how we interact with the world around us.

The term 'going green" is a popular term used to describe the process of changing a lifestyle for the benefit of the community and environment. Individuals who 'go green' make decisions about their daily lives and take into consideration what impact the outcome of their decisions may have on environmental concerns, local community, global warming and pollution just to name a few. They begin to live sustainably, i.e. choosing to cut back or altering methods of transportation, purchasing locally produced items, limiting use of natural resources and/or changing one's diet.

We are excited about sharing our 'going green' news with you! Here's how we at Puma Yoga are reducing our carbon foot print and going green:

• Buying and using 'green' cleaning products. We currently use the following products to keep our studio green & clean: Dr. Bronner's Soap, CitraSolv, SeaSide Naturals and Harmony Products.
• Paper products: Seventh Generation.
• Scent/Aroma: The candles we use are Aloha Bay candles. These candles are made with Palm Wax, an all vegetable blend that contains no residues or harmful solvents. The wicks are lead-free and cotton. Pure essential oils are used in the lotions we use for savasana and adjustments. We are moving toward using paraben free lotions.
• Buying Local: Partnering with local companies such as Nature's Bin, Curry Copy, Root Cafe and Lion & Blue.
• Recycling at the Studio: By recycling all that is possible (glass, plastic, paper) and reusing useful items, a person can minimize his/her waste. This helps decrease the need for landfill space and conserve energy.
• Say, "Hello, Culligan man!" Puma Yoga will be phasing out water bottles this week, and will be replacing the plastic bottles with a Water Cooler and a fill your own, "BYOB" policy. Hurray! NO MORE plastic bottles!
• Conserving Energy: The studio space benefits from the many windows and the natural sunlight. We use low watt, energy efficient bulbs in our lights and use the overhead lights only when necessary.
• Less is More: Working on printing fewer class schedules and workshop flyers.
• Recycling Old Yoga Mats: What to do with the old mat? Donate to a school, knee guards when working out in the garden, place mats for plants, line kitchen shelves, mat gripper for area rugs, mouse pads, grip pads to open jars, protector of valuables when moving or shipping goods, place for muddy shoes..as you can see, the ideas are endless!

How can you begin to 'go green?' Here are a few suggestions:

• Use a yoga mat free of PVC, phthalates, and other potentially harmful plastics.
• Try to drink from stainless steel water bottles.
• Ride your bike to yoga class or carpool!
• Donate or re-use your old mat
• Buy and support local business
• Share your garden: don't know what to do with those extra tomatoes? Donate to a food bank, trade with your neighbor, give it away to friends!

By putting into practice, one step at a time, ways to go green, we empower ourselves, one another and the community at large. Awareness is the key.