Are you risking your health each time you do yoga?

When I was pregnant, I browsed online for the best yoga video for pregnant women. I've always practiced yoga but I wanted to make sure I was doing things right now that I was pregnant. It seemed I was, but I had missed one important health issue. I had not replaced my yoga mat.

Did you know your yoga mat can cause birth defect to the fetus?

Yoga mats may be comfortable but they are made of vinyl which is toxic to the environment. So on one hand I was practicing this ancient form of exercise to bring health and wholesomeness to my life, while all along I was using a product that is toxic, and contains phthalates (plasticizers) which are bad for your health and baby's health. I learned that a pregnant woman should not use these mats because phthalates actually cross the placenta and can cause harm to the fetus. How interesting! That was my odd reaction but without a second thought I tossed my bright blue mat in the closet for nine months, and eventually decided to leave it there. I also discovered that the exposure to phthalates found in vinyl materials can have negative effects in reproductive health in both men and women.

So what is a yoga lover to do?

Well you do have an alternative of buying eco friendly yoga mats now available - Yeh! They're called quite simply "ecomat",  how original, but catchy, these Earth Friendly (Non-PVC) 'ECOmat'
are non-toxic and chlorides-free, recyclable, and have superior grip among other great features. Worth having wether you're pregnant or not.