use the code and save!

sometime last may, there was an article published in time magazine that looked into the rising sales of expensive yoga mats.

here's an excerpt from that article, "No Stress: Pricey Yoga Mats Sell Briskly in Recession":

... At a time when consumers are in a serious saving mode, why are sales of $100 yoga mats soaring?

That's right — $100 for a stinkin' mat. A company called Manduka, which makes these luxury yoga props, has seen its sales rise 55% in the first four months of 2009. Sales at Amazon.com during this period are up a stunning 87%, and the company just signed a deal with Dick's Sporting Goods, a major retailer with 389 stores across the country. Manduka offers the Black Mat PRO, a thick, cushiony black mat, for between $74 and $130, depending on its length, and the biodegradable eKO for between $42 and $70. "Manduka is the Porsche, the Ferrari of yoga mats," says Phil Swain, CEO of YogaWorks...

i've had a number of conversations with my yogi friends, and the consensus seems to be: once you've practiced on a black mat, nothing else compares. besides, it's very eco-friendly -- it'll never end up in a landfill. no matter what you do to the black mat, you just can't kill it. it keeps going, and going, and going...

however, since i now commute to most of my yoga classes on bicycle, i can't use my black mat as often as i'd like. weighing a full 7 pounds (excluding the weight of the bag i carry it in), it is extremely HEAVY; sadly, i've now relegated it for sole use at classes i get to by car. for all other classes, i've reverted to my older purple mat (which is now called the PROlite and comes in other colors) which is almost as thick and as dense as my black one, but much lighter...

anyway, if you want to jump on the manduka bandwagon and get yourself a pro quality mat (even if your budget is telling you otherwise), this offer from manduka might help:

Summer is halfway over and it’s hard to tell which is more exhausting – the long days of summer you’ve spent entertaining, playing, and bbq-ing, or the thought of the upcoming months of longer work hours, back-to-school, and gloomy weather. During these next few weeks of in-between mentality, Manduka has the perfect proposal for your tired body and anxious mind.

From now until August 1st, Manduka – purveyor of the finest yoga gear on the market – is eager to offer you 20% off of ANY ITEM in their online store. Simply go to www.manduka.com, pick out the item of your choice and enter the code HEALTH20.

by the way, they sell many other items at their online store, including mat bags, props, towels, books, and DVDs. and they're all eligible for the discount :)

happy shopping!