If any of you other moms out there are as attached to Yoga as I am, you'll appreciate this extraneous bit of gear known as the Oshi Mat. Totally unnecessary for anyone but a Yoga-loving, germ-obsessing baby mama! I started doing Yoga when I was 16 (at just about the same time that Sushi made it's grand debut on the hipster scenes - Yoga became the ultimate modern-girl workout) when I was schooling abroad in Toronto. My friend and I (hi Leah!!) would hit the gym at the local mall and morph our bodies into the most random of positions... I fell in love. I used to do gymnastics, so my back really seemed to crave all the core-strengthening goodness resulting from 30 minutes of Yoga.
When I found out I was pregnant with Freida, I signed right up to a prenatal Yoga class that was held at a studio down my block. It was fantastic, and I felt like I was indulging in something so luxurious and selfish during those special (though at times, difficult) 9 glorious months of carrying a baby. Once Freida was born I continued with my daily Yoga at home, and when she was a few months old we started attending a Mommy & Me Yoga class at the same studio. Freida became quite the little Yogi and seems to have retained all of her baby flexibility (probably more due to genes than yoga, but anyway!). The only thing that bothered me was the germ-infested studio floors, and bacteria-laden mats... I eventually just bought a second mat for Freida and marked it so i knew which side went down onto the floor, but I wish I would've been introduced to the Oshi Mat back then!
Lightweight, water repellent and moisture-free to stave off bacteria, Oshi Mats are made of eco-friendly, non-toxic, recyclable foam, and they 100% PVC and latex free.Definitely a product created for the unfortunately overtly OCD moms (like me!), but a smart concept either way.
The best part is: you can snag one on sale today over at Gilt!
To endless (and germ-less!) downward dog-ing!!
Also, you can check out this previously posted link to a great Yoga for Kids DVD.
Spotted these playmats over at a little online shop I just discovered called Shak-Shuka - a "stylish eco boutique for baby, child, and mama". These are by far the most useful and practical (not to mention beautifully designed!) playmats I've ever seen. Made of 100% organic cotton (hello, washing machine!) and all natural dyes, these mats are safe from infancy onward: tummy time, toddler play-animal zoology, endless train track play, imaginary autobahns, picnics in the park - heck, I'd even hang these on the wall as art!!
