Interview: Dean Jerrehian, founder of JadeYoga, talks about eco-friendly yoga mats

Interview by Dylan Robertson.

For some time, I have been curious about the yoga mats by JadeYoga. I was particularly attracted by their eco-friendly reputation and so was very excited when I got the opportunity to interview their founder, Dean Jerrehian, about his company’s environmentally friendly philosophy and approach to business.

When did JadeYoga begin?

In a way, JadeYoga began long before launching its first purple and blue Harmony yoga mats in 2002. JadeYoga grew out of Jade Industries, Inc., a company that had been making non-slip natural rubber rug pads for area rugs since the early 1970s and for many years sold rug pads to select yogis for use as yoga mats.

Can you tell us about the first yoga mats? What were they like?

In fact, the birth of JadeYoga really brought yoga mats full circle as the first yoga mat was a rug pad; as the story goes, B.K.S. Iyengar was in the United States doing a demonstration on an oriental rug, but he was slipping – a student took away the rug – leaving the pad and the first yoga mat. Strangely, the yoga mat that became the norm from here was made with cheap, imitation plastic – or PVC. It was also annoyingly slippery – almost useless for most practices.

How did JadeYoga become the company it is today?

JadeYoga began in earnest in 2002 after we were approached by a very savvy yogi who described the fundamental problem with most yoga mats on the market at that time – they were slippery. As we were already making natural rubber rug pads, we approached the problem from that angle and developed Harmony, the first natural rubber yoga mat.

We sent out something like 500 samples and got nearly 300 phone calls – an incredible response. People had never seen anything like this and were thrilled to be able to get a yoga mat that actually gripped. In addition, natural rubber has better cushion and resilience, making it more comfortable. Finally, tapped from rubber trees, natural rubber is a renewable resource and our mats are made in the United States in compliance with U.S. environmental laws and contain no PVCs – making our mats the first “green” yoga mats.

What inspired you to become eco-friendly?

JadeYoga’s development of the first green yoga mat might be described as an accident – as the goal was to develop the best functioning yoga mat available. Because natural rubber performs so much better than synthetic rubber (PVC, PER, TPE, EVA), those synthetic rubbers were never really an option. However, as a vegetarian and former lawyer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where I enforced environmental laws, I have tried to steer the company in a green direction. So rather than pat ourselves on the back for making the product with natural rubber (which performs better), we said we could and would do more.

Many yoga mats are made in China. Why don’t you manufacture in China?

We have resisted the temptation to move production to China – where almost all other yoga mats are made today. This decision was made easy after a 2005 chemical spill into the Songhua River in China – which the Chinese government tried to cover up, not even letting the people downstream drinking the water know of the risks. This was further reinforced with all the recent problems with toys and foods coming out of China (which almost killed my own cat). While dollar costs may be lower with mats made in China, it is just not worth it. Further, being made in the US, we can be sure our production process comply with all US environmental, worker safety and consumer protection laws which are among the strongest in the world.

What kind of environmental activities is JadeYoga involved in?

We are committed to giving back to the earth with every mat sold. Jade mats are born from trees; so we decided to thank the trees by committing to plant a tree for every mat sold. And since 2006, through our partnership with Trees for the Future, we have done just that.

What are some projects you support and contributed to?

Not only does JadeYoga plant a tree for every mat sold, we also try to help out many very special people and organizations trying to bring yoga to those who might benefit from it, but might not otherwise have a chance to try – from a abused girls shelter in West Africa to a homeless shelter in Indianapolis to supporting educational programs for children from New York to California. JadeYoga encourages everyone to think about what more they might do.

Tell us a little about the creative process. How do you make color selections and name your products?

Almost all of our products are developed by listening to our customers. For example, when we hear about a problem that needs to be solved, we work to solve it. Just as our first mat was made with natural rubber to address the problem with slipping mats, our yoga blocks are made with balsa wood which is a light, soft, yet firm wood – creating a better block than foam blocks that are too soft and wood blocks that are too heavy and hard – and proving once again that eco-friendly products (balsa is a rapidly renewable resource, growing to maturity in just 3-5 years.) Similarly, our colors have been developed from suggestions from customers who wanted more excitement that the purple and blue mats that used to be the norm.

Where you see direction of company going or continuing to go?

We firmly believe that we can make the best yoga products in the world out of eco-friendly materials and give back to the earth at the same time and intend to do this with our products and services.

Model: maya

What future potential do you see for JadeYoga in the Japan market?

We consider Japan to be one of our most important markets as there are so many yogis who recognize the value of our products and the importance of taking steps to protect the earth by the purchasing choices they make. We think we have only just begun in Japan and we are hoping to see expansion of Jade in Japan like we have seen in other countries in Asia and around the world, where Jade is becoming the number 1 mat of yogis everywhere.

When you come to Japan, what is the number one thing you’d like to see or do?

I am looking forward to seeing the temples of Kyoto when I come to Japan.

For more information on JadeYoga and their products, please see:

• www.jadeyoga.com (global site)
• www.jadeyoga.jp (Japanese site)