An Inadvertent Yoga Model

Guess who got to show off the lovely new Lotuspad yoga mats? Yup--you guessed it! I'm trying to contain my excitement and play it cool, but I can't--I'm super excited to be involved with this small, start-up company that believes in creating eco-friendly, and, OK yes, beautiful yoga gear.

Being a model newbie, I had no idea what to expect. But working with Annie Pickert of Hazel Imagery was easy and fun. She definitely knew what she was looking for in terms of background, light, angle, and image...which made my part easy. Well, as easy as holding various poses for 2+ hours without a break can be. Let's just say that after holding any pose for over five minutes, my arm/leg/whatever supporting body part was literally shaking with effort, and I definitely got quite a workout :)

Honestly, though, the whole thing was really awesome. I love photography and I love being outside (especially on a beautiful sunny day), and I've been known to put up with yoga on occasion...so really, it was a dream come true.

It's also cool to collaborate with a small, local company whose mission I support and believe in. And in terms of the mats themselves? Check out the stylin' color combos (I'm especially partial to the orange/pink), the cool imprint patterns, and, of course, the hot yoga model. Even better, notice that Lotuspad yoga mats are made of a super soft (I'll even go so far as to say velvety) material which is called TPE (thermoplastic elastomer). TPE is a newly developed and patented material that is PVC/latex-free, takes less energy to manufacture than standard yoga mats, and will biodegrade in a landfill or hot compost. Owner and founder of Lotuspad Katy Downey also points out that PVC is a known human carcinogen, is hugely polluting to manufacture and dispose of, and yoga mats made from it never biodegrade.

If you wanted to get all yogic about it, you could see this as an example of the principle of ahimsa, non-harm (the first and most important niyama, or no-no, in Patanjali's "Yoga Sutras," the foundational text of yoga). These mats create no-harm to the environment or to us. And unlike some other eco-friendly mats (ahem, you know who you are), they are non-harmful to your wallet at $42/each (plus a 10% discount courtesy of moi, use "SaraD" at checkout).

You can read more on the Lotuspad site, but in the meantime, check out some of my favorite shots from the shoot and see more at http://lotuspadyogamats.com

The pink side of the "Radiant" Eco Yoga Mat

Three-legged dog on the blue side of the "Balance" eco yoga mat

Probably my fav! Nice shot, Annie!

Lastly, lest you think I'm getting all greedy and grabby and violating the yoga code (definitely not cool and in direct conflict with the Sutras), I'd like to clarify that I received no monetary compensation for this project. :)