If you practice yoga, chances are good you’re practicing for yoga’s many health benefits. Chances are also good that you tend to look for ways to optimize your health in general. This includes good nutrition and exercise (such as yoga!) and steering clear of toxins in your food and your environment.
Your choice in yoga supplies also likely reflects your desire to make healthy choices. Take, for example, your yoga mat. Natural rubber, from Malaysian rubber trees, is a popular choice among environmentally conscious yogis. But for people who are sensitive to latex, rubber mats can be problematic.
We love our Para Rubber Yoga Mats. They’ve got fantastic grip and great cushioning. But they’re not for everyone. While latex allergies are not all that common, they can range from mild to severe, and can even produce anaphylaxis in hyper-sensitive individuals. Here’s what the Mayo Clinic’s website says:
“Latex allergy is a reaction to certain proteins found in natural rubber latex, a product made from a milky fluid from rubber trees. If you have a latex allergy, your body mistakes latex for a harmful substance.
“Latex allergy may cause allergic reactions ranging from skin irritation to anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening condition.”
The Good News
The good news is, although we love our Para Rubber Yoga Mats—as do many of our friends in the yoga community—there are plenty of choices for latex-free, environmentally friendly yoga mats for people with latex sensitivities. We include a few PVC mats here because our PVC formula has never included heavy metals or phthalates.
Our Environmentally Friendly, Latex-Free Yoga Mats:
PER: Tapas® Travel, Nature Collection, Nature Collection Ultra, Gallery Collection Ultra
Jute/PER: Sattva Jute Mat
Bamboo: The Yoga Towel
PVC: Tapas®, Tapas® Ultra