April 2009 | Healthy Living :: Yogapedia

Green Yoga Studios

By Julia Levitt

Yoga is full of references to the natural world. As yogis we salute the sun; we stand in tree pose; we mimic the actions of dogs, cobras, eagles and more. Combine those tight bonds to the Earth with key yogic principles like ahimsa (non-harming), and it’s easy to understand why leading yoga visionaries from Shiva Rea to Sharon Gannon are passionate about honoring and protecting the planet and all of its inhabitants.

But “going green” can be a difficult path for yoga studios to navigate alone. The volunteer-run Green Yoga Association has been around long enough to see the green movement go from hippie fringe to full-blown mainstream. A decade ago, the Association focused on key issues, like finding natural alternatives to replace mats that contained the toxin polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Now that natural mats are widely available, the Association is focused on helping studios see the bigger picture through its five-year-old Green Studios program.

What does it mean to be a green studio?
 The process of greening a studio can still seem overwhelming to many owners, says Kate Vogt, coordinator of the Green Studios program. From clean energy credits to bike racks to fair-trade organic tea, there are more eco-friendly options out there than ever before. To help identify a starting point, the Association suggests each studio identify its core values, and adopt one planetary gift — air, water, trees, or soil — as its own. The owners and staff can then do everything they can to honor, protect and preserve that element.

What key things need to be in place for a studio to be green?
 The Green Yoga Association extends membership to any studio willing to pledge to consider the Earth in every decision it makes. The point is not to prescribe a specific set of criteria, but to shift the studio’s focus toward environmental stewardship.

Participating studios have responded with a range of creatively earthwise choices, Vogt says. The owners of Home-Simply Yoga in Santa Monica built a nearly carbon-neutral studio featuring recycled and reclaimed materials, energy-efficient radiant floor heating, and natural sunlight in place of electric light. Other studios have fixed leaky pipes, implemented a program to reward students who walk or bike to class, or leant their studio space to environmental non-profits for use when yoga practice is not taking place.

How can I recommend green changes to my favorite studio?
 The secret to having your suggestions taken seriously is to approach the studio owner and staff with compassion and respect. “Almost every studio owner is running on overload — they’re often teaching and running the studio at the same time,” says Vogt. “Recognize that from the owner’s perspective, whatever you suggest will need to fit within the studio’s limits of time and budget.”

Keep it simple by directing the owner to Green Yoga Association’s Green Studios page (greenyogastudios.homestead.com), where he or she can find a checklist of guidelines to get started and connect with other studio owners who are adopting a greener path. If you want to get more involved, you can point out useful information, like how the studio can help care for its students’ health by switching to PVC-free community mats or non-toxic cleaning products. You could even offer to volunteer a few hours of your time to help out — by researching ways to save water, helping swap out all the studio’s incandescent light bulbs for energy-saving CFLs, or leading a green discussion group.