Hi everyone! Chris here, owner at Yoloha. I am proud to announce that Yoloha is celebrating 10 years of growth, gratitude and community. As I sit down to reflect on our journey over this past decade, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude. What began as a humble endeavor rooted in passion for yoga and sustainability has blossomed into something more rewarding than I ever imagined.
While our story began in 2013 with my fine-tuning of the first cork yoga mat prototype, it was April of 2014, that I picked up the very first production batch of Yoloha Cork Yoga mats. Until that point, I had been hand making the first 200 or so cork mats out of my surfboard building shop in Ocean City, Maryland. I was personally fulfilling each order while also working a full time job in marketing.
On the drive back from picking up the first yoga mats in New Jersey, I was debating what the next steps were for this growing business when one of the new mats flew off the trailer and smashed against the back. When I had returned home I thought for sure this yoga mat had been ruined but it turned out to be completely fine. With the quality and durability proven, this was the sign I needed. The next day I nervously went into my job and gave them my two weeks.
Realizing the best way to sell these non-slip and eco-friendly yoga mats was to let yoga teachers and students try them for themselves, I set off on a cross-country road trip. Traveling to nearly 80 studios from New York all the way to California, I was able to grow my practice from so many amazing teachers while also learning what works and doesn’t work for people on our original mat. This also allowed me the opportunity to educate yogis on why cork yoga mats are so important for their practice and the planet.
Shortly after, we moved our home and headquarters to Charleston, SC where we quickly grew from a small family business to an amazing team selling worldwide. We opened our first yoga studio in 2018 and have loved growing our community here.
I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by such a supportive and loving group of customers, employees and yoga teachers. Thank you all so much. This would also not be possible without Dawn and her beautiful yoga studio Yoga Vibez in Ocean City, Md. She introduced me to yoga and provided the inspiration to develop the first cork yoga mat.
There are many, many reasons why I have loved running Yoloha for 10 years. One reason is that since day one every cork mat, every cork prop was built and developed in our warehouse before going to production. Not only does this ensure the highest quality and meeting our sustainability standards but it’s also just fun! It’s what I love to do and will always continue to do. I also just love the practice of yoga. It’s always evolving, always challenging and so rewarding. Knowing we are creating products that can help people grow their practice makes it all worth it.
Thank you for ten incredible years. Here's to many more to come.
With gratitude,
Chris Willey
Owner, Yoloha Yoga
