Gear

Ahhh, backbends... The ultimate cure for hunched-at-your-desk-all-day posture, but where to start?혻 Jessamyn Stanley (@mynameisjessamyn), yoga teacher, body advocate and all around dynamo personality혻talks us through four supported poses to experience a truly혻heart-opening practice.혻

You?셪l need: a supportive yoga mat and two blocks.혻(We suggest the Manduka PRO and our Recycled Foam Blocks.)

First let?셲 be clear: using props isn?셳 a sign of weakness. They?셱e great tools for deepening your practice and they allow us to modify and open in places the body isn?셳 used to. They?셱e amazing for rooting down, opening the chest and back, and supporting core strength. For backbends, I have blocks next to me at all times.

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As the summer season approaches, we asked UK based travel blogger Charlie Marchant to share her best tips on staying healthy while making your travels count.

Whether you?셱e headed to a yoga retreat, music festival or international adventures this summer ??be prepared! Continue reading →

Sesa O?섴onnor: LA based yoga teacher, mother, surfer and Wanderluster.

If you just bought tickets to your first yoga festival (or are trying to win some)혻you might be wondering what to pack. We chatted with Manduka Ambassador Sesa O?섴onnor to get the best tips for yogis -- because the only thing worse than overpacking is forgetting an essential behind! Continue reading →

We love following @NamasateTiff on Instagram. This week she shared her thoughts on혻yoga, motherhood, and the ways in which they inform one another. We?셱e glad to see that Nora is still loving her LiveON Kids Mat too:혻

"I came across this quote the other day, "Peace starts within us -- we cannot bring to the world what we do not have to offer." Continue reading →

Every student should experience confidence, focus and feel balanced in the classroom, but not all students come from situations that give them that luxury. So we have to support the people who support our most at-risk kids. Bent On Learning is a nonprofit organization that has taught yoga to over 18,000 students over the past 15 years, bringing yoga and all of its benefits into underserved New York City public schools to support a healthier, more compassionate learning environment ??and we made a mat to help make what they do possible.

We?셶e collaborated with visual artist Ryan McGinness to bring a one-of-a-kind printed PRO mat that will not only inspire your practice, but gives back to a young community that needs it most. Every time one of these special PRO mats are purchased, we will gift two yoga classes for children in Bent On Learning, helping inner city kids find inner peace.

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Just like your favorite pair of jeans or a well-worn baseball glove, our PRO mats require a break-in process, or PROcess as we like to call it, which is really more like a ritual. As you practice, the top surface will naturally wear in, transforming it into one that?셲 uniquely yours. The more you stretch, twist, sweat and breathe together, the better it gets?봨ust like your practice. Continue reading →

For the time ever, we have partnered with an artist to create a one-of-a-kind printed PRO mat. The limited edition Ryan McGinness PRO Mat was designed to inspire creativity both in practice and in life but it also serves a much higher purpose. Every time one of these special PRO mats is purchased, we will donate two yoga classes to children through Bent On Learning. This non-profit organization helps bring yoga and all its benefits to public schools in the New York area.

The abstract female silhouette is part of Ryan?셲 iconic ?쏻omen Series??and positively flows off the classic dark blue mat right into our open hearts. And while the design is new, everything else you love about the PRO is still there including an unparalleled density, performance grip and a lifetime guarantee. Already our most supportive mat, this limited edition mat truly embodies the spirit of the practice by supporting the next generation of yogis.

Buy a mat. Give yoga.

About혻Ryan혻McGinness Ryan혻McGinness혻is혻an혻American혻artist,혻living혻in혻New혻York혻City.혻His혻work혻is혻in혻the혻permanent혻public혻collections혻of혻the혻Museum혻of혻Modern혻Art,혻Virginia혻Museum혻of혻Fine혻Arts,혻Museum혻of혻Contemporary혻Art혻San혻Diego,혻Cincinnati Art혻Museum,혻MUSAC혻in혻Spain혻and혻the혻Misumi혻Collection혻in혻Japan.

See혻more혻of혻Ryan?셲혻work혻at혻ryanmcginness.com.

About혻Bent혻on혻Learning
Bent혻On혻Learning혻brings혻yoga혻into혻underserved혻public혻schools혻and혻classrooms혻tosupport혻a혻healthier,혻more혻compassionate혻learning혻environment혻where혻kids혻can혻thrive.혻For혻15혻years,혻they혻have혻been혻providing혻weekly혻yoga혻programs혻to혻schools during혻the혻academic혻day,혻serving혻18,000혻children혻to혻date혻and혻helping make혻health혻and혻happiness혻an혻integral혻part혻of혻school curriculums.

For혻more혻info혻visit혻bentonlearning.org.

짤 Ryan McGinness. Licensed by Artestar, New York.

Made from (8) recycled plastic bottles and enhanced with patented Skidless??technology. These eco-conscious towels will grip your mat and prevent slipping no matter how much you move or sweat. Practice On.

Soulfully engineered with a lifetime guarantee. See why the PRO is the best yoga mat cherished by yogis worldwide.

This moment is a gift.

Yes, this one, reading this blog over lunch, on your commute, in your PJs, wherever you are. It?셲 a gift that has never happened before. A brand new, undiscovered now ??here comes another one, and another, are you seeing these? These moments are what our lives are made of.

So what will we do with it? How will we choose to show up?

#NowStartsNow.

This is your invitation to the moment. We?셝 like to see what you ??bright, brave, wild you ??do with it.

Share your now as a post to our Facebook wall, a Tweet to the universe or an Instagram for the ages. Tag @MandukaYoga and #NowStartsNow. Share what?셲 been stirring inside you for a long time, and where you go when your heart does the driving.

Over the next 6 weeks, we?셪l be reading your stories, tweeting your Tweets and hearting your Instagrams. We?셪l choose 10 yogis who share their #NowStartsNow to receive a suite of Manduka gear from the new spring collection (you can tell us what grabs your eye, or let us choose based on your story), and feature many more here on the blog. So whether you?셱e applying for your first passport, getting into headstand, breathing through traffic jams or asking for a date, #NowStartsNow.

Life can be many things ??beautiful, messy, sweaty, mysterious, still. But more than anything else, it?셲 now. Here?셲 to using this one of a kind moment for your one of a kind life.

Practice On,
Manduka