Creating something new, exciting and popular in an established industry is no easy feat, yet Mississauga’s Yara Kamal, founder and CEO of Scoria, found a way.

With the sweeping majority of yoga mats being made from vinyl and rubber, they subsequently end up in landfills and release toxins.
Smartly, Scoria’s yoga mats are made from cork and natural rubber. Cork is 100% natural, anti-microbial, will not mold, and saves production energy and doesn’t release chemicals into the air.

The creative design details speak for themselves.
For each mat:

925 L of water is saved
15.8 kg less greenhouse and gas emissions
0 trees are harmed
23 kg less petro-chemicals
Natural tree rubber uses no chemicals
It avoids PVC and TPE
100% biodegradable
Harvested sustainably

Aside from the aforementioned, Kamal used cork as it maintains a strong grip that’s natural and produces a waxy substance when in contact with water/sweat, meaning your hands and the mat are slide resistant. This is highlighted when doing hot yoga or outdoor yoga on a warmer day.
And let’s call it what it is; we all sweat. The last thing on your mind should be if you’re going to fall or slip during your yoga/exercise session.

But wait, there’s more!

Kamal’s Scoria is committed to giving back and is a proud supporter of Feeding Children Everywhere.
What does that mean?
Every Scoria mat purchased sees 10 meals donated, which is remarkable.

I’ve had a mat for over a week and the quality is simply outstanding.
It does everything as advertised and comes with a handy carrying strap.
Thickness comes in at either 3.5, 4.5 or 6 millimetres, depending on preference - I have the 4.5 mm one.
You can get a plain, non-patterned design, or choose from a plethora of cool, creative and inspiring designs which appear on the cork side.
There are kids mats available as well.
With plenty of options, chances are you’ll find one that’s ideal for you.

On how Scoria was created, Kamal says:

”I started Scoria after I became more aware of the indirect society pressure to succeed and fit in a world of physical values. This pressure forced me to be what others wanted me to be and continue trying to keep up with "looking" and "presenting myself" a certain way. It led me into a loophole of depression feeling like I lost my true self. One day it hit me, I knew it- Playfulness and the connection to the creative side of my brain has vanished from my life at 18 due to societal pressures and fear of judgement to act a certain way. I knew I needed to explore more expression in my life and achieve a state of presence who isn't concerned of judgement or analytical thinking and who can act silly and express emotions without concern of judgement. I went on to delving into research of children's thinking and grown-up's ways of thinking and I explored all the ways to reconnect again with the behaviour of playfulness, activating imagination, the effort of creative-thinking and the appreciation for story-telling as a grown-up. Within 9 months of connecting with these behaviours, my mental state drastically improved and my health became so much better. Afterwards, I went on to dedicating the rest of my creative work to inspire wellbeing in a different way. I decided to dedicate my life to create a brand that carries pieces & future experiences that can serve as a safe space to be courageously and fearlessly yourself. To play, be silly, express, cry, and fully be who you are in that moment and to allow a safe space for this full experience without thinking of judgement from society.
We do well-being differently.”

All in all, they make a solid product.
More importantly, they do so sustainably and responsibly, plus, give back in the process.

That’s J-OK in my books.

If you’re interested in picking up your own Scoria mat from this Mississauga based company, head over to scoria.ca