Be a “green” Yogi!

Published 20 August 2015 ● Last Updated on 8 October 2020

With an increasing number of fashion conscious men and women adopting Yoga as the “go to work-out regime” today, yoga is not for the fashion backward anymore! Move on ill-fitted t-shirts and lounge pants, yoga is all about stylish comfort these days. Walk into any Yoga studio and you will see yogis and yoginis in an enviable range of yoga wear – imagine a cute printed tank on the girl ahead of you or classy sweat absorbing pants on the guy using the mat next to you. The best part, uber cool yoga clothing is not where it ends, there is an entire range of smart minimalistic yoga gear to go with it. Who would say no to a funky wooden yoga block when working on one’s core or a cool head band to keep the hair off the face when you floats up in “Bakasana”?

Secondsguru has the distinction of having two yoga enthusiasts as owners (Anuja and I try very hard!) so this week we decided to put together a list of eco-friendly Yoga related products that can be used by our environmentally conscientious readers! We are mentioning a lot of online stores in this post. But if you prefer to touch and feel before you buy, a great selection of green brands are available for you right here in Singapore to browse through and compare – jump to the end of our post to read about Touch the Toes!

1) Yoga Wear for HER: Girls, as usual, are spoilt for choice in the yoga wear range! Here are a few of our picks;

www.satvaliving.com: Satva takes pride in the organic cotton used in all the apparel it makes and sells. Stand out in this stunning Sana Cami and Ayanna Legging both made of 95% organic cotton. Wear these and you can also do your bit to support the socially responsible and sustainable apparel made by Satva!

Sana Cami for US$ 39 Buy here ; Ayanna Legging for US$ 59 Buy here

www.purushapeople.com: The Yoga wear at Purusha is all about organic cotton which is hand-made and hand-printed by the lovely ladies at purushapeople. Dazzle your yoga class, whether you can do that handstand or not, in these cute leggings and top!

Mermaid legging for US$ 74 Buy here , Beautiful T shirt for US$ 36 Buy here

www.teeki.com: Teeki stands out in our shortlist as the brand that makes all of its yoga line of clothes from fibre created by recycling plastic water bottles! The fabric used is spun out of the fibre, cut, printed and then hand sewn. The guys at Teeki save Mother Earth and also create jobs. (Having recently acquired a pair of Teeki yoga pants myself, I can vouch for how comfortable they are!)

Sienna mermaid tank for US$ 38 Buy here, Rainbow Hot pants for US$ 72 Buy here

2) Yoga wear for HIM: Guys, if you have been working on asking the cute girl in the yoga class out, do ramp up your wardrobe before you make the first move. Here are our picks to help you get there:

www.verveclimbing.com:  I was surprised to discover that not too many sustainable designers make yoga clothes for men. So when I wrote to verveclimbing, I half expected a “woman we are about climbing and not yoga” kind of reply. However the reply I got was quite to the contrary: Apparently a lot of yogis do use the garments made by Verve for “rock climbing”. Reason is simple, the garment specifications for both activities are similar- material that breathes and facilitates movement! The Hanuman Knicker which is made of 88% organic cotton and 12% lycra jersey is a great option for our green-yogi’s. 

Hanuman Knicker US$ 58 Buy here

www.dearlildevas.com: What better than cotton pants and t-shirts which breathe when you are working out? Look no further dear lil’ devas offers 100% cotton yoga pants and bamboo T shirts for men.

Bamboo short sleeve t-shirt for men US$40 Buy here, Cotton yoga pants for men US$75 Buy here

3. Accessories: How can any yogi’s wardrobe be complete without the right accessories- the perfect yoga mat, the right yoga mat bag and the ideal bag to carry all of it in?

www.huggermugger.com: Hugger mugger has an interesting collection of eco-friendly accessories. This tote made from recycled paper won my vote for utility and good looks. Another item which Hugger mugger scored on was the Eco bamboo yoga towel made from renewable bamboo fibre. The online store also sells yoga blocks made from recycled foam and bamboo.

Tote Bag for US$6.97 Buy here, Eco bamboo yoga towel US$35.95 Buy here 

Cool Yoga mat bags on etsy: Handmade in Thailand using indigenous cotton fabric, these classy bags will enhance your practice and take it to the next level. The best part is that the store is happy to take custom orders if users need yoga mat bags with non standard specifications.

Simply Siam Yoga mat bag SG$28.51 Buy here

www.barefootyoga.com: Looking for a gift for your partner who is passionate about yoga? Check out the eco gift packages from barefoot yoga which can be customised to fit your requirement. Barefoot yoga also has a wide range of organic cotton yoga wear and other accessories. 

Eco Yoga Package from US$ 73 onwards Buy here

Closer home, Singapore has it’s own 100% eco yoga store for the close to five years. Trust me , I didn’t know until I dug it up through my Yoga contacts (Thanks Kristin K)! The store, Touch the toes stocks multiple brands (Teeki, Omgirl, Anjali, Lily Lotus to name a few) and is run by three lovely ladies who curate all the items on offer. Every item in the store is either organic cotton or recycled or made of Bamboo and is sustainably produced! Touch the toes has a retail store at 31 Arab Street and an online store too. We went to the store (hence the pictures and my purchase of ‘Teeki Yoga pants’) and the stuff there is yummylicious. Go have a look!

I must warn you here though – some of these “eco friendly” items we have listed come with a price tag; still, they tick a lot of the right boxes as far as meeting the requirements of the greener part of your conscience is concerned. Moreover they last long and are made sustainably. If you want cool yoga gear which is easy on the pocket, yet trendy, just refer to our earlier post on making it at home using an old tee (Upcycle: T-shirt to a stylish Yoga outfit).