Nature is best

With the devastation lurking in the waters of the Gulf Coast, we may find ourselves feeling uneasy, sad, restless…with the thought: What can I do?

A couple ideas to get us less dependent on crude oil:

* Use natural fibers
* Drive less
* Avoid plastics

When tragedy is great, sometimes it just takes one small step in the right direction, multiply that by a billion and imagine…there would be a huge impact of hope, relief and good.

We can each do our part. And with that said, our sincerest thoughts and most hopeful wishes go out to Mother Nature and all her creatures.

Dirty Mats. Dirty Feet.

You walk into the studio and remove your shoes. Now what? Your barefeet have touched the floor. We tell ourselves they clean the floor. While this is probably true - to what extent do they clean them and how often? And what about everyone else's feet? Are they clean? Do they have a foot fungus they aren't aware of? We override these concerns and head to class where we sweat, drip, move to the floor, on/off the mat, and all around the equipment. Dirt and germs are lurking. Let's face this fact and now do something about it.

A 2006 article in the New York Times, Communal Yoga Mats: Beware of Germs, discusses communal mats, yoga and the rise of foot health issues. Tidbits include:

"Gyms have long been hothouses for unwanted viruses, fungi and bacteria, a result of shared equipment, excessive sweat and moisture in locker rooms. Many facilities provide disinfectant so clients can wipe down machinery, but they are often less diligent when it comes to exercise mats. It’s common to see staff members clean a stationary bike. It’s rare to see them disinfect a mat."

"Representatives at most of the 10 gyms and studios that a reporter called nationwide said that they aim to clean mats thoroughly once a week."

Giving Sole Support to Souls in Need

ToeSox Helps Organization by Donating 400 Socks

Carlsbad, CA. – May 19, 2010 – Carlsbad-based sock company ToeSox, Inc. has focused its goals on enhancing overall foot health, hygiene and safety. With this commitment in place, ToeSox was compelled to support Soles4Souls in its mission to put footwear on those in need. ToeSox launched a 1-for-1 promotion to their retail client-base and committing to donate one pair of ToeSox for every pair purchased in the month of April. The sales came in and more than 400 pair of ToeSox were shipped to Soles4Souls for distribution to those in need of footwear.

Soles4Souls organization, headquartered in Tennessee, began in 2004 after the tsunami hit Southeast Asia. From help abroad in Haiti to serving locally in the 2010 Tennessee floods, Soles4Souls is “changing the world one pair at a time.”

“It seemed like a natural fit for ToeSox to help,” says ToeSox president, Joe Patterson. Patterson hopes to work with Soles4Souls again in the future and give even more ToeSox to this organization that helps millions.